Unwanted Turn
by SkiaWolf
Summary: Life had been perfect for Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins, and they thought that nothing could possibly come between them and their happiness. Neither would have ever guessed that one incident could change that completely. AU, M/M, warnings included in chapters. Discontinued for the unforeseeable future because I'm trash.
1. Going Downhill

**A/N:** So even though I'm still in the progress of a South Park fanfic, all of the lovely support I've received over my last two Wrestling AUs made me want to write another one. So... Here!

 **Note: I am not American, so I apologise for accidentally using British slang or get anything inaccurate involving laws and the educational system.**

If you see anything wrong involving this, I'll appreciate it if you told me, but please be gentle as I am a sensitive human being... *laughs then cries*

 **Chapter warnings:** Some violence (I don't think it is as heavy as I've written before) and homophobic insults.

Anyway, enjoy!

* * *

 **Unwanted Turn**

 **Chapter One - Going Downhill**

* * *

Striving for greatness was something which Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins had both aimed for ever since they were children. Though it was partly in the aspect of achieving their goals as they climbed up the ladder to their success, it was also because they never wanted to be the kind of people who spent their weekdays just waiting for the weekend, they didn't want to struggle. In short, they aimed to be happy. Preferably, being happy together would be best, but of course, no one could predict the future. You never know what could be waiting around the corner.

Dean and Seth had known each other ever since the sixth grade. Though you wouldn't expect it from his much more outgoing attitude nowadays, Seth used to be very quiet as a child, choosing to keep to himself rather than talk to any of his classmates. That slowly began to change, however, when Dean had dragged his best friend, Roman Reigns, over to the lonesome Seth and started chattering away as though they had been friends for years. After that day, Seth became a part of their friendship naturally, and even though there were many 'third-wheeling' jokes as time went on, he was a part of them and felt like he had been friends with them since elementary.

Then the years flew by, and soon enough, they were in high school. This was when the light-hearted jokes regarding Seth's sexuality started. It was something which Dean and Roman noticed a long time before their friend did, and they tried to get Seth to realise (and accept it). Some people tried to say that they 'forced' Seth's sexuality on him, but that was completely untrue. It was as simple as someone not realising how much they like a colour – they could think that their favourite colour was red, but someone noticed how much of a different colour they wore. So many people don't realise what they like until someone helps them to. This was how Seth figured out he was gay. His two best friends found it very easy to spot Seth's lack of interest of the opposite gender, but his much bigger interest in the same gender.

Dean, however, didn't need any guidance to work out that he wasn't straight, but bisexual. As someone who had always been bold, he naturally wasn't hesitant at all to make it known. And when it _was_ known, Seth had been thrilled, for he realised that perhaps the crush he had on Dean could possibility work out. And work out it did; in the tenth grade, their relationship began.

All of their other friends (especially Roman) couldn't have been more supportive, and it was from that moment that they thought their lives couldn't possibly get any better. Their grades (after Seth scolded Dean about not studying enough) were high, their friends were amazing, and when they applied for their colleges, they were both able to get into one they had dreamed about going to together ever since middle school. It was even better alongside Roman and his girlfriend, Kaitlyn.

Both coming from dysfunctional families, it was hard to imagine that they could be so joyful. But, they were both too stubborn to let that stop them from building an amazing future for themselves.

They were strong, and nothing could possibly come between them.

* * *

"Seth, how the _hell_ did you get so good at bowling?"

"Well, Kaitlyn, I honestly don't know… Being great at things comes naturally, I guess."

"You learnt from me, and then bam, you're beating everyone else," Dean huffed, folding his arms. "I find that completely unfair. I'd say you're just lucky. Or a cheater."

"Come on, don't be like that," Seth laughed, squeezing one of his hands through Dean's arms so he could hold onto one of them.

"You know, I think he might have a point," Roman said, grinning.

"Yeah, you couldn't have _possibly_ played that well without cheating," Kaitlyn added.

"I thought you'd be on my side. First you betray me by dying over the blonde, now this… I am hurt."

"Don't be so over-dramatic. And will you ever let the hair thing go?"

"Nope, he won't," Dean chuckled. "The day he lost his two-toned twin was a horrid one. Speaking of which..."

The hand which didn't belong to the arm that Seth wasn't hanging onto reached up to Seth's hair to run through the few blond strands on one side.

"You really need to redo that, Sethie. Those poor bits of blonde are hanging on there for dear life."

"Yeah, yeah, I know that already. It takes effort, you know. And _don't_ call me 'Sethie'."

"But it's cute..." Dean squeezed Seth's cheek, smirking at how unamused he looked. "Just like you. Fucking adorable."

"I'm not cute."

"Yes, you are. Cute and tiny."

"I'm not even small anymore! I'm almost the same size as you!"

"Just so precious."

"I will _murder_ you."

"Do you ever just feel like that you're a third-wheel, even if you're with me?" Roman asked, raising an eyebrow at Kaitlyn.

"All the time. These two make that possible."

"Hey, we're not _that_ bad," Dean said, raising his free hand into the air.

"Yes, you are."

This wasn't the first time that they had had these kind of conversations. Though they did have their own dates, the four of them weren't complete romance types (especially not Dean and Seth), and a lot of the time preferred to go out as a group to just have some fun. Sure, they liked doing something romantic just by themselves every now and then, but they didn't like to overdo it and when it came to Dean and Seth, they were much more fond of being intimate behind closed doors rather than go out to restaurants together every week.

Roman and Kaitlyn were very similar, but they were a little more romantic than the other two. Kaitlyn was someone AJ, a good friend of Dean's who soon joined their circle of friends, introduced them to. Her bold and less girly attitude (just like AJ) was admired by Roman immediately, and it didn't take very long for them to get along. They were as equally pleased as Dean and Seth when they had both been accepted into the same college, and were also just as happy generally. Roman came from a large family, with a few siblings and many cousins, and the household was felt like Dean and Seth's true family. Though Seth was incredibly nervous the first time he went round for dinner and a sleepover, with Dean as well, he soon felt right at home and everyone made him feel comfortable.

The two couples walked for another five minutes until Roman and Kaitlyn arrived at their bus stop. With a wave from both of them and a 'leave him able to walk tomorrow' by a smirking Kaitlyn, Dean and Seth carried on walking down the street.

"So how long do you think it'll take Roman to propose to her?" Dean asked, lazily resting his arm on Seth's shoulders.

"I'd say not long, but we both know that he's going to get all shy about it," Seth grinned, before poking Dean in the chest. "And what about you, eh? You're turning 21 this year. Knowing you and your capability of forgetting things, I'd have to give you at least a decade once you decide to propose."

"Come on, I'm not going to be that bad. Once we're out of college, I'm going to treat you to a Haribo ring and propose to you while you're all grumpy in the morning."

"If you do that it'll be your fault if I kick you in the face."

"Fuck… Okay, maybe I won't."

"Scared of me, Ambrose?"

He laughed when Dean simply flipped him off in reply. After he did so, he peered at his watch. His eyes widened.

"Shit, I have an interview in that pub in a few minutes. We lasted longer in there than I thought."

He removed his arm from Seth's shoulders, looking a little guilty.

"You wouldn't mind if I didn't walk back with you to the apartment, would you? I'll be late otherwise."

"Yeah, that's fine."

"Are you-"

" _Yes,_ Dean," Seth chuckled. "You know perfectly well that I can take care of myself."

"You know, it's just because I'm really disappointed," Dean sighed, a small smirk growing on his face. "You're wearing those really nice jeans and I can't even do anything about it..."

"Maybe next time. Go on, you asshole, we need that money."

Dean cupped Seth's face with his hands to give him a quick kiss on the lips before he broke out into a jog as he crossed the street. Seth then placed his hands into the pockets of his jeans, and walked through the streets.

Dean and Seth had decided a while ago that they wanted to live in an apartment rather than in the dormitories, simply because they wanted privacy. Luckily, it wasn't very far away, and he only had another ten minutes to walk.

He gazed up at the sky for a few moments, admiring the stars. He loved quiet nights like this, where all he could hear was the breeze blowing gently past his ears. It was calming, peaceful, and actually made part of him glad to be on his own. Privacy on nights like this was something he had always appreciated.

A frown was quick to grow on his face when his head titled back down and his eyes fell back onto the path in front of him. Two tall men were blocking the sidewalk, hoods thrown over their heads, but Seth could make out their eyes weren't looking directly at him, but rather, just past his shoulders. Silently thankful over how observant he could be, he spun his leg round behind him, hitting the man he had predicted to be there right in the stomach. When he bent over, Seth rose his right elbow and landed it right in between the man's shoulders, only just being able to turn around and block an incoming punch from one of the two other men who had been blocking his way. His right leg swung round the man who had thrown the punch and kicked him behind the knees, making him gasp in pain and land onto them. But, his defending didn't last any longer than that before the third man grabbed onto Seth's arms from behind, and that was when he first felt the strength that these men possessed.

He tried not to panic and kicked out when the smallest of the three, the one he had kicked in the stomach, pulled himself off the floor grunting and made his way over to Seth, but the kicks were futile as soon as a punch to his jaw left him feeling dazed. He spat out the blood in his mouth and locked eyes with the man, narrowing them when their gaze met and didn't look away when one of his arms were grabbed by another.

"What the fuck do you want?" he questioned, managing to keep his voice collected and bold even though he thought his heart was going to beat right out of his chest.

There was no reply as his messenger bag was yanked over his head, and was immediately searched through. Seth was livid – how _dare_ they think it was fine for them to rob him?

"There's not even much in there, you're wasting your time."

The silence from the man continued as he rummaged under Seth's jacket which had been squeezed in there.

"Found anything, Bray?" the man holding Seth's right arm said.

"Not really, I'm just looking for his wallet."

A grin grew on his face as he held up what he was looking for, "Found it," he said as he unzipped it. He grabbed the dollar notes inside, whistling. "You've got a fair bit in here, kiddo."

"I need-"

He was interrupted by a blow to the stomach which made him lose his breath. His chin was then grabbed in one hand by Bray as he was forced to look into the bearded man's eyes.

"Shut the fuck up, fag," he spat, his breath an awful smell of alcohol and cigarette smoke. Ah, so he saw the kiss, did he? The word didn't even affect Seth one bit; he had gotten used to homophobic remarks. "Unless you _really_ want to be in trouble."

He winced when the grip on his face tightened, before feeling relief as it was released. Bray went back to searching every last square inch of the bag. Holding up a Swiss army knife from a zipped pocket inside the bag, he grinned.

"Maybe you should've kept this in your pocket," he commented, flicking up the knife as he slid it down Seth's cheek, who gulped as he did so. "It can't really be used for self-defence if it's in your bag, can it?"

"Maybe I hadn't expected by people who can't find any other way to get money except rob some normal guy who was just innocently walking down the street and has actually done something with his life."

 _Big_ mistake. The knife being pressed against his cheek swiftly sliced the skin, and that act seemed tiny when he was spun round by the two nameless men holding him and a knee dug roughly into his stomach. Several hits later, he was on the ground, and Bray was crouching down by him, tutting as he twirled the knife in between his fingers.

"You sure are a cocky one, aren't you?" he asked, raising a hand when the tallest of the three slammed his foot into Seth's ribs, undoubtedly cracking a few. The pain he was feeling was the most he had ever felt, and he immediately regretted acting so confidently. Perhaps if he hadn't grown into such a bold person, he wouldn't have dared to act so cockily. The old Seth – someone much more timid and careful – would probably have gotten away from this in one piece. Maybe without a couple of belongings and a broken nose, but not quite in the state he was going to be in once this was over. If he actually survived, that is. "And normal? You're calling yourself _normal?_ You're going round fucking other guys, how is that _normal?"_

Several more kicks to his already damaged stomach proved just how abnormal these men thought Seth was. Perhaps he had also struck a nerve… Or maybe this guy was just crazy. Either way, Seth's mind was still spinning out of control, and he was clueless as to how he was still conscious.

"Get up," Seth heard, sounding as though it was from a distance. "I said _get up!"_

Seth could only manage to get himself up shakily on his knees. A hand grabbed his knotted hair, pulling him onto his feet.

"Grab his phone, Luke, I can see it in his pocket."

He barely felt the fingers dig into his pocket to remove the desired item; his mind was far too distracted by his beaten body and his dizziness.

"Why must scum like you be the ones to be able to afford this kind of shit?" Bray hissed, the hand still gripping Seth's hair tightening. "You're _disgusting."_

 _'Not as disgusting as you…'_ Seth thought to himself. Or at least, he believed that he had simply thought of those words. A sudden blow to the side of his head suggested that maybe he had managed to speak them out loud.

The pain was excruciating – that _had_ to have done some kind of damage. The voices of the three men seemed even more distant, and he was barely even able to hear them over the sound of the ringing in his ears. He could barely make out two women crossing the road warily, or were they actually there? The blurriness of his vision made him doubt the things he was seeing.

And then, just as he realised he was going to pass out, he was pulled to the side and his head was slammed against a brick wall next to him. Darkness was the only thing left after that.

* * *

 **A/N:** Wow, I always treat Seth _so_ nicely...

Ahem, thank you for reading! Any reviews would be lovely, of course, as I love hearing feedback. It _is_ also my birthday so...? *blinks at you cutely*

Hopefully you enjoyed it, and I shall try and update before I go on holiday next Monday. Until then!


	2. Who are You?

**A/N:** This is actually a pretty quick update, but saying that, it isn't the longest of chapters. As I'm going away tomorrow now instead of Monday, I wanted to get it done and updated before I go.

I hope you enjoy it!

* * *

 **Unwanted Turn**

 **Chapter Two - 'Who are You?'**

* * *

Dean smiled and happily shook the hand offered to him.

"So I'll be starting Monday night?" he asked.

"If that's fine with you and your work."

He nodded, "Yeah, it'll be fine. I've done most of it already, so I'll just finish it this weekend."

"See you on Monday, then."

Trying to keep himself calm until he was out of their sight, he said his farewell before leaving the building. That was when he allowed his grin to grow. It was a basic job, but it was something which would help him and Seth a lot, with them living in their own apartment rather than in college. All they had to do now was wait to see how Seth's own interview in a comic book store went, but Dean didn't doubt that he'd do well. Things were running so smoothly now. They had to think over moving out of college for a while before making their decision, as they had to be certain that they would manage financially. With their rent at a very reasonable price, Dean making enough at his new job with flexible hours and hopefully Seth's job too, it looked very promising that they'll have more than enough to live there.

Too excited to wait until he arrived home, he took his phone out of his pocket to tell Seth the good news, but just as he was about to ring the contact number, he was receiving a call himself from an unknown number. He answered the call and placed the phone by his ear.

"Hello?"

"Is this Dean Ambrose?" said a woman's voice, someone who he didn't recognise.

"Yes, may I ask who's speaking?"

"My name is Renee Young, I'm part of the Cincinnati police department."

Dean's heart skipped a beat as soon as he heard those words. Was it Seth? Roman? Kaitlyn? No, it wouldn't have been Roman or Kaitlyn; if something happened to one of them, the other would surely call Dean to tell him… Unless it was _both_ of them. They could have gotten in an accident on the way home.

Despite his mind racing with all of the possibilities, he managed to keep his voice calm as he spoke.

"Has something happened?"

"Your roommate Seth Rollins has been admitted to hospital. He was brutally assaulted and some of his belongings were stolen. Luckily, only his money was stolen from his wallet, so we were still able to identify him."

"How… How bad is it?" Dean said, gulping.

"He could possibly have brain damage, though it's more likely that he's just concussed. They can't know for sure until he is conscious."

"I'll be right there," he replied, hanging up the phone immediately. Anger was quickly starting to build up inside him. How _dare_ they lay their hands on Seth? If only he had walked him home... But Seth said he would have been fine, and Dean _had_ to go to that interview. The blame was on whoever attacked Seth. _That_ was who his fury was aimed at, not himself.

He didn't have time to allow his rage to blind him, however, and was soon calling out to a taxi to take him to the hospital. The drive, though it wasn't very long at all, was nerve-wrecking, his blood pressure rising higher and higher as each minute felt like an eternity. He barely managed to thank the driver and pay him during his rush to jump out of the vehicle and race into the building.

"I'm here to see Seth Rollins," he said hurriedly to the woman, who was on the phone. His anger only rose when she held up a finger.

"Please hold on a second, I am on the phone-"

"No, I _won't_ hold on a second, my fucking boyfriend was assaulted and I _need_ to see him!"

The woman sighed and pressed her hand against the reciever.

"I understand that you are concerned, but please, I just need a minute."

"I don't have time-"

"Excuse me, are you Dean Ambrose?"

Dean turned to see a blonde woman in a police uniform walking over to him. He nodded his head.

"I'm Renee, I can take you to him, if you like."

"That'd be appreciated," he replied, putting a foot in front of him, but he stopped and turned back to the receptionist. "Uh, sorry for being rude."

The woman, however, merely smiled, looking a little impatient as she continued with her phone call. Knowing he won't get – and most likely didn't deserve – more than that, he followed Renee down the corridors of the hospital.

"A young girl and her friend were the ones who reported this," the policewoman said as they walked. "They rushed past, immediately calling us when they were out of sight. As soon as the men left, they hurried over to Seth and stayed with him until an ambulance came."

"How many attacked him?" Dean asked.

"There were three of them."

That made him wince. Seth was definitely good at defending himself, but if there were _three_ men who attacked him… It was no surprise he couldn't fend them off.

"Seth isn't the first to be attacked, either. Though we're unsure of their identities, we're certain it's the same three men, judging by witnesses' reports. It's not much to go off, but the attacks seem very similar; by three men, two of which are very tall, all of them bearded. We're doing our best to stop them."

' _Clearly your best wasn't good enough,'_ Dean thought to himself as he gritted his teeth. He didn't mean to be so bitter; it was just difficult in this circumstance.

A minute later they arrived at the room. A doctor and nurse stood outside, and when they looked at Dean, they smiled, though it was sad, and he could see pity in their eyes. Panicked, Dean rushed round the doorway. His eyes lit up and his lips grew into a smile when he saw his boyfriend sitting up in the bed. The bruises were an awful thing to see, as was the cut across his cheek, but at least he was awake. That was more than he asked for.

"Seth, I'm so glad you're awake! I was worried that you..."

His words trailed off when Seth looked at him, puzzled. The following words made his heart sink in his chest.

"I'm sorry, but… Who are you?"

* * *

Dean could hardly think straight as he was gently led out of the room by the doctor and nurse, whose words were not being took in through Dean's ears very well.

"...And because of that, we're afraid-"

"I'm sorry," Dean interrupted, his focus landing on the doctor trying to speak to him. "But please can you repeat that? I was distracted."

She smiled sadly, "That is understandable. We're afraid that Seth has had a great amount of damage inflicted on his head during the attack. It's clear that this is what has caused amnesia; a rather severe case of it, unfortunately."

"Is it… Is it permanent?"

"It shouldn't be. Hopefully, with enough encouragement and gentle reminders of the past, he should recover before too long."

Those words were probably supposed to be a relief, but the words 'hopefully' and 'should' made him have a small amount of doubt. What if Seth was left questioning who Dean was forever? Would Seth fall for Dean all over again? _How_ could they help him remember his life? There were too many questions with too little answers.

His hands slowly clenched into fists. If those three criminals had left Seth alone, none of this would have happened. He wanted them thrown in prison- better yet, he wanted them _dead_ for making the person he cared for the most be this way.

"Sir, please, we must ask you to stay calm."

Apparently, the fury Dean felt inside was very evident on the outside. He was past caring, and suddenly no longer felt like he could hold it in.

"How am I supposed to stay calm when the guy I've loved for five years can't even remember who I am? There needs to be something, _anything_ you can do to make him better! You're meant to help people, right? So fucking help him because that guy in there is one of the greatest people you'll ever meet and I will _not_ just sit by and allow him to be this way!"

The pace of his breaths were incredibly fast when he had finished speaking, and he knew that what he was saying wasn't going to solve anything. But his emotions were far too strong to say nothing.

"We understand what you're going through," said the nurse. "But please, if you don't calm yourself, we will have to have you removed from the building. Your words are only going to affect Seth more."

Dean took a deep breath and nodded, his eyes glancing over at Renee when he felt her eyes on him. When she saw that he was calmer, she gave him a pitiful smile before continuing her conversation with another officer.

"I'm sorry. This is just very hard for me."

"It naturally will be. The best thing for you to do, though, is approach Seth gently and help his memory return that way. He seems very anxious right now and has no idea what happened to him, so the main thing he needs right now is you showing that you care."

He nodded his head again in understanding. She was right; expressing these negative emotions weren't going to help in the least, as much as Dean wanted to just strangle whoever did this to his boyfriend.

Taking several intakes of breath to calm himself, he walked back into the room. Seth, who had been looking out of the window, turned his head round to look at Dean. There was still confusion written on his face, though what stabbed at Dean's heart was the small amount of fear.

"I heard you shouting..." Seth started, his voice unbelievably quiet. "You… You said you've 'loved me'. What do you mean by that?"

"I'm… I'm your boyfriend, Seth."

"Boyfriend?"

Doubt. That was the first thing that Dean heard from Seth's voice.

"Yeah, we've been together for five years. We've known each other for nine years, almost ten."

"Really? That's a long time… It's strange, I don't remember a thing..."

Dean gulped, and for the first time since he had heard of Seth being hurt, he felt an unfamiliar lump in his throat, the kind that you feel when tears are threatening to fall. He hadn't cried in years, and here he was, worried he would cry because his boyfriend of five years couldn't even remember them meeting.

He tried to smile instead of cry, though he knew that Seth could read the sadness in his eyes.

"I'm sorry, I wish I could remember, I must be hurting you so much..."

That's when Seth began to cry rather than Dean, who, out of instinct, immediately stepped forward to place a hand on Seth's. He quickly retreated when Seth flinched at the touch, looking at Dean's hand as though he was unsure of how to react.

"I'm trying to remember, I really am… I'm just so tired."

"I think that's a sign that you should rest," said the nurse, entering the room. She turned to Dean, looking apologetic. "I'm sorry, but I think it would be best if you left Seth to sleep for a while. You're completely welcome to see him again tomorrow."

"I will do," Dean said, his eyes locking back on Seth's. "I'll see you tomorrow, Seth."

The man only blinked in reply, which just added to the pain in Dean's heart. He shakily smiled before he left the room, still holding back his tears. Renee rested a reassuring hand on his shoulder once he stood in the corridor.

"We'll find who did this, Dean, I promise," she said.

"I'm sure you will," he replied, though he couldn't make himself believe these words completely. What if they _didn't_? There were far too many doubts, the build-up of them causing what felt like was going to be a very severe migraine. "Thanks for your help."

"No need to thank me, I'm just doing my job."

After Dean had walked further down the corridor, he ignored the hospitals policy about mobiles and pressed Roman's contact. He found it almost impossible to speak, but managed to explain what happened to Seth. After the long conversation, he was told to spend the night with Roman and Kaitlyn. He had wanted to just go straight home, open a bottle of vodka and forget everything that happened, but he was glad that he didn't. The realisation of just how much he needed their company hit him when they opened the door for him and he was immediately pulled into his best friend's arms. All three of them were clueless as to how they were going to cope, but at least they could struggle through it together.

* * *

 **A/N:** My fanfics are so fun and happy.

I won't be updating for a little while because of my holiday. I might write some of the next chapter on my iPod, but probably not. Please bear with me!

Thank you so much for the feedback so far, it means so much to me. It's no wonder I get the most ideas for this fandom; you're all so lovely to me and keep me motivated! So thank you for that, and also thank you for reading. Until next time!


	3. The Second Visit

**A/N:** Finally, I've got this completed! I had to start from zero words when I got back from my holiday so I'm actually quite surprised I've got it done, especially with my other fanfic on the side. Saying that, these chapters are pretty shorter than the size of my previous stories. Maybe I'll get to that length when I need to, but at the moment, I'm not pushing myself to write a lot of words. I used to make myself write at least 3,000, but now I'm just ending a chapter when it's best for me to.

Anyway, thank you for waiting, and I hope you enjoy it!

* * *

 **Unwanted Turn**

 **Chapter Three - The Second Visit**

* * *

Dreams are both a blessing and a curse, allowing us to escape from reality and our troubles. This temporary relief and sense of peace calms us while we sleep, but once we wake, we're once again facing our burdens.

The dream Dean had that night was simple. He had merely been sitting with Seth, Roman and Kaitlyn, as the four of them laughed over ordinary things and chatter. The simplicity of this moment was something which Dean could only wish would happen again.

Swinging his legs over the side of the bed, he sighed and ran his fingers through his tangled hair. Sleeping with Seth by his side, even if they weren't in each other's arms, had given him the most restful nights he had ever had. Both sleeping alone and his anxiety over the previous day's incident naturally made him miss out on a lot of sleep.

He then rose to his feet with his back slouched over, something which Seth had always scolded him for. His hand hesitated when it reached for the door handle. Embarrassment was one of the rarest emotions that Dean had ever experienced, and yet, he was witnessing it in that exact moment. Though the feeling was strange, he knew why he felt it; he couldn't remember the last time he had cried that much in Roman's presence. In fact, considering all of the tears he had shed in his lifetime had been when he was with Roman, he wasn't sure of when he had allowed himself to cry such a huge amount. It wasn't a surprise; he had been holding in tears during his whole visit to the hospital. His body wouldn't have allowed him to hold them inside for any longer.

Repressing the embarrassment, he opened the door steadily, his eyes automatically landing on Roman and Kaitlyn who, just like Dean had predicted, were both standing in the kitchen, making breakfast. The couple looked up when they heard the sound of the spare room's door opening and closing, and managed to give him a smile.

"Good morning, Dean," Kaitlyn said.

"Want any breakfast?" Roman asked.

"Nah, I just want a coffee," Dean replied, making his way over to the apartment's kitchen himself to make the coffee, like he had done countless times before. He wasn't usually the type of person to skip breakfast, but he wasn't completely sure if he could even stomach food. Worry had built up inside him, making him feel fairly nauseas. "Are we heading to the hospital after this?"

"Of course," said Roman. "I was going to pick up my car this morning, so I'll drive us."

Dean nodded, grateful both for Roman's car being fixed at the perfect time and also that it was a Saturday, meaning they didn't have to go to college.

Silence fell on the room after that. It seemed as though each of them were far too tense to engage in conversation. They stayed silent when Dean walked back into the spare room to change into more suitable clothes for going out into public with. He and Seth often stayed with Roman and Kaitlyn, so he had a couple of his own outfits in the closet. When he had thrown on a pair of jeans and a T-shirt, he had reached for the hoodie he had been wearing the previous day, but stopped himself. He couldn't bring himself to wear a jacket Seth had bought him and had wore many times, despite it not being his. Throwing it back onto a chair in the room, he decided that the March temperature would be more than fine for him to be outside without a jacket.

The lump in his throat had returned, but didn't allow the tears to fall again. He couldn't afford to have another breakdown; Seth was there in the hospital this second, confused about everything and everyone. Dean _had_ to stay strong for him. There was no time for him to cry.

He was sure that keeping this mindset was what had made him manage to stand up straighter and be determined to push aside his pain to deal with the issue he had to face.

* * *

Dean had remembered precisely where Seth's room was located in the hospital, and so started leading Roman and Kaitlyn down the corridors. He had always hated hospitals. So many people had a dislike for the smell, but it was the colour of hospitals which had been stuck in Dean's mind ever since he had visited his father after he had been drunk-driving. Dean didn't even know why he had bothered; they never spoke after that.

Seth was speaking to a nurse when they had entered the room, though their conversation halted when he saw them. The smile which grew on Seth's face gave Dean a flicker of hope for a brief moment, but he pushed it aside. Miracles don't exist, he knew that. But at least Seth had smiled.

"You're… Dean, right?"

"Yeah, that's right."

He nodded, and turned to Roman and Kaitlyn. "I'm sorry, I haven't been told who you might be."

"I'm Roman, and this is Kaitlyn," said Roman, gesturing to himself and Kaitlyn. The gentle tone of his voice almost made Dean wince – he had been so angry and shocked over what happened, his voice had been nowhere near as kind as his best friend's. "We're both your friends. I've been around just as long as Dean has."

"Really? Well, you seem very nice, so I can see why."

Dean hoped that the nurses had managed to calm Seth down after Dean left the previous night, otherwise the guilt over his anger was going to only grow more.

 _'Dwelling on it isn't really going to solve anything,'_ Dean thought to himself. _'I should really just say something… But what on Earth_ can _I say?'_

Much to his surprise, though it was a huge relief, Seth spoke again before anyone else had thought of what to say themselves.

"The doctors say that there's a chance I could get my memory back. They think it's been caused by damage to certain parts of my head. I don't know how it can happen, but… Well, I can tell by how upset the three of you seem that you're the most important people in my life. I'm sure if we're as close as you say, then you're the best people to help me."

Those words made Dean smile. His hand reached into his pocket for his mobile, grateful that he brought it with him.

"Would you like to look at some pictures?"

Seth nodded, "I'd love to."

Dean walked over to the bed as Roman and Kaitlyn simply watched, both holding their breath as they hoped that this would help, even if it was just a little bit.

"We have a habit of taking loads of pictures," Dean chuckled when Seth took the phone from him to swipe through the photos. He noticed how Seth hesitated to swipe to another photo when it was a picture of just him and Dean, though he wasn't able to see his expression.

"We… We look really happy together," Seth said, pausing at one picture where he was kissing Dean's cheek, who was giving the camera a wink and a thumbs up, his tongue sticking out of his mouth.

"We were- _are."_

"I can see that..."

Dean wasn't too sure whether it was just his paranoia taking over, but he could have sworn that Seth had sounded sceptical.

"I remember how you came to me once Dean had came out as bi," Roman piped up, making Seth look up from the phone. "You were excited, because of the crush you had on him for ages. But you were nervous too, even though you were a pretty confident person by then. You had no hesitation at all though telling Dean how you felt when he told you that he liked you himself. You've been together ever since, and there's nothing that's come between you two."

 _'Until now,'_ Dean added silently. He was grateful for Roman's words, he really was, but there was still something about Seth which made him seem like he wasn't quite believing what he was being told.

"Does that help you remember anything?" Kaitlyn asked softly. There was a small pause before Seth shook his head.

"No, I don't think so. It's not like it's all just vanished; I suppose it's more like everything has become one huge blur that I can't make anything out of."

His finger continued to swipe through the pictures, looking at them as though they were from another world, one which he didn't feel like he was a part of. Dean guessed that this was actually how Seth _did_ feel, that the world he was living in right now couldn't possibly be the same as the one captured in this photographs.

The phone was handed back to Dean after a couple of silent minutes. Seth looked as though he wanted to ask a million questions, but was unsure of where to start.

"We go to the same college, don't we?" he asked, glancing over at a nurse watching them – Dean guessed keeping an eye on him, as well – from the doorway. "Will I still be able to go?"

"Once your injuries have healed more, we believe it's actually the best idea for you to go as it could help restore your memory," she replied.

"Oh, well that's good, at least. I wouldn't want to fail or anything."

That made Dean's lips curl into a grin. Even when he couldn't remember who he was, Seth still seemed to care just as much about education as he had previously. Dean was clueless as to how Seth would cope with college, but at least the determination was there.

"You've always been like that," Dean grinned, unable to say silent.

"Yeah, you'd have to make an effort _not_ to work hard," Roman added, chuckling.

"So I'm hard-working? That and the pictures… I must have had a pretty good life, I suppose."

That made Dean's grin fade away. Seth sounded so disappointed.

"Don't worry, Seth," Kaitlyn smiled. "I'm sure you'll remember it eventually."

"Yeah, and even if you can't remember it, it's still your life," Roman added.

"You can carry on being happy, even if you don't quite remember it yet."

"Thank you… I sure hope so," Seth said.

Grateful as he was that Roman and Kaitlyn managed to make the situation more positive, Dean still felt guilty that _he_ wasn't the one saying all of this. Somehow, when it came to Seth feeling said, all words left his tongue. He wanted to be the loving and supportive boyfriend he had always been, but for some reason, he couldn't quite grasp the words he needed to be that person again.

That was the first thing that would fill him with guilt over what happened to Seth, though he didn't realise there was yet more he had to feel guilty about.

* * *

Dean, Roman and Kaitlyn stayed at the hospital for several hours, all the while avoiding asking Seth again if he was remembering anything in fear of upsetting him. They were certain that if Seth _did_ remember something, they would be able to tell, merely by the surprise and happiness on his face. That didn't happen, though they tried not to let that get them down. After all, this was only the day after the attack. They couldn't hope for any improvements just yet.

 _'Just hope for the best,'_ Dean had told himself silently when he felt disappointment begin to wash over him. _'Nothing good will happen if you keep feeling anger at what happened. You just have to be supportive.'_

The words aimed at himself worked momentarily, but each time he told himself this, anger didn't take long to settle back in. Perhaps his mother had been right about anger issues. Maybe he _did_ need that anger-management therapy.

At least he had Roman and Kaitlyn there, to keep him steady. If it weren't for the couple's reassuring and gentle words, he was sure he wouldn't get through it.

"He'll get through this, and so will we," Roman said, the heart-warming smile which could calm anyone growing on his face. "We're strong when we're separated. But together, we're more than strong. We're unstoppable. That goes for this, too. Maybe he won't have his memory back tomorrow, maybe he won't have it back next week. But it _will_ come back, you'll see. We just have to have faith and stick together."

Roman, the man who had always managed to stay calm, to keep everyone feeling bright, to think positively. He was someone who Dean couldn't live without. And not for the first time in Dean's life, he was grateful that Roman was around. In fact, grateful wasn't even good enough to describe how much Dean appreciated him. There isn't a word in existence that held enough emotion to describe Roman with.

' _No, we_ will _get through this. We have to.'_

* * *

 **A/N:** As usual, thank you for reading, and any reviews would be appreciated! I hope you enjoyed the chapter.


	4. Mistakes

**A/N:** After updating my other story last night, I wanted to hurry and get this done. Luckily I didn't have much more to write!

I hope you enjoy the chapter.

* * *

 **Unwanted Turn**

 **Chapter Four - Mistakes**

* * *

Such a positive attitude was hard for Dean to maintain as the days went by. Seth not showing any signs of remembering his life was even harder, making it near-impossible to think positively. But Dean, as well as Roman and Kaitlyn, did their best to stay positive, or at least, not act negatively in front of Seth. The doctors and nurses told them that this will only worsen Seth's mental state, for he was both depressed and anxious about his inability to recall his memories. So smiles are what they wore, even if those smiles were difficult to make.

There was one small thing that _did_ make the situation easier to cope with, however, and that was Seth's injuries beginning to heal. Dean still winced when he looked at the bruises and cuts inflicted on Seth's body, but at least they were fainter than they had been previously. According to the doctors, he'd only need to stay in the hospital for another two weeks, maybe less if he healed quickly. This knowledge made this event that little bit less upsetting, though of course, it still felt like going through torture for Dean.

 _'If it's torture for me, God knows what it's like for him,'_ he had thought to himself. _'What I'm going through can't be even half as bad. Knowing that he lived a life with us, one that was so happy but not being able to remember any of it… How does someone deal with that?'_

It seemed like a miracle that he _was_ dealing with it well. But, if the doctors said that he was depressed, maybe he did the same as Dean, Roman and Kaitlyn; put on a smile so they didn't become upset. That thought alone was enough to wipe the smile away from Dean's face.

And then, one week after the accident, there was much more than merely a thought wiping away that smile.

He had been trying his absolute best to control his anger, going as far as even focusing on his sadness so that the much more destructive emotion got in the way. But, it was hard for him to suppress said emotion.

"I'm sorry, but we haven't had any luck finding these guys," Renee had informed Dean that day. "We'll keep trying, but at the moment, I'm afraid we've been unsuccessful."

"Unsuccessful? What's so hard about finding some huge fucking thugs?"

Inside, he was already yelling, yelling at himself to stop as soon as he started because he knew as well as anyone that rage didn't solve anything at all. But it blinded him; something which rage did best.

Renee was glaring, but was obviously doing a much better job of controlling herself.

"Like I said, we'll keep trying. No one has had a good look at their faces so it's fairly difficult."

"What if they've already left by now? What if you weren't quick enough?"

"We have police in surrounding areas keeping an eye out. We'll get them, Dean, it just can't happen overnight."

"Well, let's hope that they're better at their jobs than you are," Dean snapped before he could stop himself. This was when Renee stopped holding herself back as much as she was.

"Listen, don't you _dare_ criticise our work," she hissed. "We're good at what we do, but having someone as impatient as you shouting at us to do our job is only going to distract us. Stop being so harsh with us and get your head out of your ass, because guess what? This isn't your job, it's mine. Your job is to get in there and be the supportive partner you're supposed to be."

Dean nodded, knowing that she was right. Of course she was right; he knew he was wrong as soon as he opened his mouth to talk. He had to get his emotions under control, he knew that. It was just so difficult for him to.

"You're right, I'm sorry," he sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "I'm just so stressed about this and everything, so I guess anger is getting the better of me. That's no excuse though, I know. So I apologise."

"I'll let you off this one last time, but I won't take anything more off you, understand?"

"I do," Dean said. She nodded her head, before walking over to one of the doctors nearby. Another sigh escaped Dean's lips before he walked back into the hospital room, where Seth, Roman, and Kaitlyn were looking at him. Dean frowned when he saw the look of disappointment on Roman and Kaitlyn's faces.

"What's the matter? Did something happen?" he questioned.

"How can you be the same person?" Seth asked, catching Dean off guard.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, how can you be the same person in those photos? The same happy, fun person? Because I'm only getting the impression that you're someone who can't control their anger. It scares me, actually."

"I'm the same person, Seth," Dean said almost hopelessly, his heart sinking when Seth avoided eye contact.

"It doesn't seem like it. I'm sorry, Dean, but I don't understand how I ever loved you."

* * *

"Dean, wait!" Roman shouted after his best friend, who was briskly walking through the hallway of the hospital. Suddenly, the walls didn't seem so far apart. He needed air, and he needed it quickly. He thought he was going to faint otherwise. " _DEAN!"_

Roman had to jog to catch up to the surprising pace of Dean, and had no choice but to grip his arm tightly to get him to stop. He didn't let go when Dean had no choice but to stop, and turned the man around, not loosening his grip all the while.

"Dean, please, take a deep breath and calm down..."

"How can I be calm when my boyfriend just told me he doesn't know how he loved me?" Dean demanded, cursing at himself silently when he felt tears sting in his eyes. Never had he been so close to crying this amount of times. It only made him disappointed in himself. Tears showed weakness. He didn't want to be weak.

"You just need to show him _why_ he loved you. You'll both get there."

"Yeah, maybe if a miracle happened. But I'm screwing this up, like I've done with everything else in my life, just like my mother said."

"You're not-"

"I _am_ Roman, you know it, I know it, everyone knows it. I'm not running away from this, I just need some time alone and think this through, alright? Calm myself down and all that shit."

Roman nodded as he let go of Dean's arm. "Okay, I understand. Call me if you need me though, okay? I'm here for you man, like I always have been."

"I know," Dean said, curling his lips into what he hoped was a smile before he turned away and continued his walk out of the building. A couple of minutes later, he was in a taxi, his eyes staring out of the window. He had been so distracted by the overwhelming amount of thoughts in his head that he hadn't noticed when they arrived at his house. Startled out of his thoughts by the driver's voice, he mumbled an apology and gave the man his money before stepping out of the vehicle and into his apartment… No, his and _Seth's_ apartment. Or at least, that was what it was supposed to be.

"Why did I even bother coming here?" Dean muttered to himself, the few happy memories he had of them spending their first few weeks in the apartment only bringing him sadness. Perhaps staying with Roman would have been a better idea after all. Unfortunately, he had already made the wrong choice.

He found himself walking over to the kitchen as he immediately started searching through the cupboards, cursing when all he could find was a tiny bit of vodka. He poured the remaining spirit into a glass, downing it in one gulp. His hands gripped onto both the glass and the bottle tightly. Everything had been going so well in life. He'd finally moved on from a traumatic childhood, met the person he knew was the one, got into an amazing college… And now the best thing in his life was taken away from him thanks to three pathetic, low-life thugs. They had took away his happiness for just a few belongings. They had ruined _everything._

Before he even had a chance to stop himself, he threw the empty bottle against a wall. The loud shattering of the shards barely satisfied him. He needed more, something to distract him more than just a few drops of vodka and its broken bottle.

After checking that his wallet was in his pocket, he exited the apartment, locked the door and began walking back down the street. It was a good job that the pub was barely five minutes away.

* * *

It wasn't very busy, understandable on a Sunday. The woman behind the bar smiled when she looked up from the glass she was cleaning to see who was coming over.

"Your shift isn't until tomorrow, Dean."

"Yeah, I know, I've come for a whiskey."

She wanted to say something, but kept quiet. He thanked her when she poured a shot of whiskey for him, ignoring the raised eyebrow when he downed it far quicker than he should have, but she didn't comment, not even when he asked for another.

"Thanks, Paige," he said, once again downing the alcohol. The pale girl bit her lip, tapping the surface in front of her with her black fingernails.

"I'm guessing everything is pretty tough at the moment, huh?" she questioned, not wanting to stay quiet for any longer. Of course, she knew about what happened with Seth and had already given Dean her condolences. This was the first time, however, that she had seen Dean this way.

"I'd say," Dean laughed humourlessly. "There's him, who seems to be actually making an effort to stay positive. But then there's me, not even being able to control my anger and breaking down every five minutes."

"It's understandable though, I'd say. I mean, you are going through a lot."

"Yeah, but so is _he._ Him more than any of us. And yet, I still keep getting furious at the police even though they're not doing anything wrong. It's that which made him not see why he loved me."

"Bloody hell, I'm sorry," the woman said. "I'm sure he'll see in time though. I mean, from what I heard, you guys were pretty tight. That can't just disappear."

"Apparently, it can. Get me another one, will ya?"

The girl hesitated for a short moment before she poured the troubled man another drink. She had a dreaded feeling about where this was about to lead, and it turns out that her suspicions were right. It wasn't long before continuous shots left him very clearly drunk.

"I'm going to fucking kill those bastards who decided to touch my Seth," he slurred, slamming the glass down onto the bar. "I mean it. I'd do it. That's what they get for fucking ruining my life."

"Dean, maybe you should go home," Paige suggested, holding in a sigh.

"Home? It's not a home anymore, not when we got it together."

He turned to his side when he noticed a petite girl walking up to the bar, her eyes on Paige.

"Hey, maybe you could replace him," he said, obviously not meaning anything he said. The girl turned to look at him with a frown on her face. "You know, because he doesn't love or remember me anyway. Might as well have someone as pretty as you. What's your name, sweetheart?"

"Her name is AJ, and she's my girlfriend, so back off."

"Oh, I didn't realise you're a lesbian. My bad."

"I've just texted Roman, he's on his way to get you."

"How did you get his number?"

"Through Kaitlyn. He's not far; he was already on his way to your place."

"I don't want to go though, I'm having the time of my life! Pour me another one, eh?"

"I think you've had enough, Dean," Paige said, lowering her voice as she leant over the bar. "You're being a nuisance Dean. We're going to have to throw you out before Roman even gets here if you carry on."

"Where would I go then? Back to our apartment, being left worrying about everything again? Jesus, I haven't had a chance to forget about all of this until now, don't take that way from me."

"It's not even helping you forget, Dean! Alcohol isn't going to solve your problems, being a supportive boyfriend is the only thing you can do."

"I can't deal with myself either, it's why I came here in the first place."

"Dean, what the fuck are you doing?" an annoyed voice said from behind him.

"Ah, there you are," Dean said, looking at Roman and putting his arm around him. "You've missed the fun."

"Fun? You call this _fun?_ You told me you needed time alone, not time to go the pub to try and drown your sorrows."

"This is working _much_ better."

"Clearly," Roman said through gritted teeth as he grabbed onto Dean's arm. "Come on, I'm taking you home."

"It's not my fucking home! How the hell is it _my_ home when it's supposed to be _our_ home?"

"Dean, just come on."

"I'm not going back there, it's fucking driving me insane. I can't deal with any of this."

" _You_ can't deal with this?" Roman demanded. "What about Seth? He's struggling too, you know. All he wants is to remember his life but he can't do that. And rather than think about how you can help him and be supportive, you're wasting time here instead. Hell, you're probably throwing away your job as well. It's pathetic Dean, it really is, that you would _lie_ to your best friend and end up coming here. Stop acting like your father and-"

Roman didn't have the chance to finish his sentence due to a fist flying into his cheek. He held it, stunned, though his shock quickly grew to anger.

"Don't fucking bring up my father!"

"I'm sorry for bringing him up, but Dean, you need to stop this," Roman said, trying to keep his anger under control as he wiped away a few drops of blood from his mouth. "You're not helping anyone by acting this way."

"Fine, I'll go back, if that's what you want."

Roman nodded, not losing his grip on Dean's arm as he guided him through the gawking crowd. Dean shrugged the hand off his arm once they were walking down the street, but Roman knew that he had calmed down. When they arrived at Dean's apartment, Roman unlocked the door for him.

"I don't want to see you like this again," he said before he left. "I mean it, Dean. I don't know how you're going to keep your emotions under control and whether or not you should see a therapist. But what I _do_ know is that you need to try. Seth isn't going to see the good side of you and realise why he loves you if you keep acting this way. So do whatever it takes to stop yourself from being this way, because otherwise, you truly _are_ going to start losing people in your life."

Roman then slammed the door shut after him, not bothering to wait for a reply. Dean sighed deeply, running his hand through his hair.

 _'God, when am I going to stop fucking things up?'_

* * *

 **A/N:** I wasn't going to bother with an author's note, but then I remembered that I want to mention that I've started writing my novel again. Obviously as I have that and two fanfictions to write, updates may be fairly slow. Hopefully you bear with me!

Thanks for reading, and any reviews would be lovely.


	5. Laughter

**A/N:** This turned out shorter than I originally hoped, but I decided it would be good to leave it where I did. I hope you enjoy it!

* * *

 **Unwanted Turn**

 **Chapter Five - Laughter**

* * *

Dean groaned and held a hand to his head the moment that his eyes opened that next morning. Hangovers were definitely never fun.

It wasn't the pain itself that was the largest bother, however; it was how it reminded him of what he had been like last night. God, he was a jerk. He should have just stayed with Roman, rather than say he was going home, only to end up drinking and making a fool of himself. That may have just lost him his job and also lose having Paige as a friend. He did briefly flirt with her girlfriend, after all. That thought made him cringe and quickly feel guilty.

What kind of person _flirted_ with a girl, taken or not, when their boyfriend was in the hospital as he suffered with amnesia? He was drunk, but that was no excuse for his actions. Maybe he shouldn't have even been drinking in the first place if that was how he was going to act.

He sat up in his bed, wincing again at his headache. There were more important things than laying around, however, and he wasn't going to let that pain stop him.

 _'Besides,'_ he thought to himself as he rose up from the bed. _'This is nowhere near as bad as the emotional pain we've been feeling.'_

After swallowing some aspirin, he turned on the kettle and put some bread into the toaster. He had learnt a long time ago exactly what helped with his hangovers. As soon as he was done, he was going over to that hospital and finally do what everyone has been telling him to do.

Whilst he was buttering his slices of toast, his phone began to vibrate on the kitchen worktop. He stopped what he was doing to glance at his phone, breathing in a sharp breath when he saw that it was Roman. Though he was glad that it wasn't the hospital ready to give him some bad news, he wasn't quite sure if he was ready to face his best friend yet. But what he _was_ sure about was that avoiding Roman was only going to make things worse, and so, he knew he had to start facing the consequences of his drunken actions.

"Hey, Roman," he greeted.

"Oh, so you're awake. I thought you would be in bed with a killer hangover."

"I _do_ have a killer hangover. I'm just not going to solve anything being in bed."

"It seems like you've actually realised how stupid you were last night."

"Yeah, I have."

"And you remember everything?"

"Yep. That includes what you said to me before you left. I listened to every word."

"So you can admit that you were wrong and will actually do something with what I said to you?"

"That's right."

"I hope you mean it. That's why I'm standing right outside your door. I want to make sure it's honesty that I can see on your face."

Just as Dean's gaze averted to the door, the call ended abruptly. Placing the phone back down onto the kitchen counter, Dean walked over to the door, only hesitating for a split second before opening it. Just as he said he was, Roman was standing there. Dean found himself wincing at the wicked bruise which had formed on the side of the man's face.

"Shit, I'm sorry I-"

"I know you are," Roman interrupted. "I can tell. Can I come in?"

Dean nodded, pushing the door open further so Roman was able to walk past him into the room. Dean closed it shut after him, watching as Roman sat down at one of the kitchen stools.

"I didn't realise you were making breakfast when I called," he said, nodding at the plate of toast on the counter. "Sorry, it'll be cold now."

"I should be the one apologising."

"Can't deny that," Roman said, chuckling humourlessly. Dean made his own way over to the kitchen, taking a bite of the toast while he thought of what to say.

"I _am_ sorry, Roman. I was stupid last night, I know that. I shouldn't have gone out drinking. That was probably one of the biggest mistakes of my life."

"As well as raising your voice at the hospital like you did," Roman added.

"Yep, that's right," Dean sighed, rubbing the back of his neck with his free hand.

"Look, Dean, I can tell you _are_ sorry. But the thing is, that apology isn't going to do any good at all if you don't improve how you're handling this. You can't just listen to what I said last night, you need to take action with it, too. That's the only way your apology actually means something.

Dean nodded in agreement, "You're right. I just… I don't know _how_ I can change. Whenever anything makes me angry, I just snap. I can't control it."

"By saying you can't, you're basically saying that _it_ controls _you._ That's what you need to change. We all get angry; hell, I get just as angry as you do when I hear that we've not gotten any closer to finding the guys who hurt Seth. But what you need to learn is that you need to let it out in a way that doesn't harm anyone, including yourself, both physically _and_ emotionally."

"I know that, I just don't know how I can let it out in a better way. I'm just like my dad, taking out my anger on other people and drinking my sorrows away. I'm scared that I'm going to turn out just like him, that my death will be like his."

"You won't be like that if you can help it. You're _not_ your father, Dean, you're _you._ That is a completely different person. You have your own life and your own choices. You can choose not to be like him."

"I guess I can. I think I need therapy though, Roman. I'm not exaggerating; it's so hard for me to stay in control and I need help with that. I'm not going to become the person Seth needs if I don't improve my anger, at the very least."

"If you think that therapy will help you, then go for it. I'll be with you every step of the way."

"Thank you, Roman," Dean replied, his voice much quieter than it was a moment ago. "I appreciate it."

"That's what best friends are for, right?" Roman grinned. "Now hurry up and finish your breakfast so we can go and see that boyfriend of yours."

Dean nodded, only taking a few minutes to gulp down his coffee, chew the rest of his toast, brush his teeth and throw on some clean clothes before he followed Roman out of his apartment, feeling much better than he had when he woke that morning.

* * *

"Are you finished with that?"

Seth looked up at the nurse, and nodded his head slowly. She hesitated, before picking up the tray of food on her patient's bed. Only half of the meal had been eaten. Seth was finding it hard to work up an appetite to eat.

"Make sure that you eat more for lunch," the nurse said. "You need your strength."

"I will, Nikki, don't worry."

She nodded, giving him a smile before she exited the room. He sighed and leant back against the pillow behind his back. Guilt was still taking over most of his emotions after the words he had said to Dean the day before. But what was he supposed to do? Pretend that he could feel the same love he had apparently felt before the accident? That didn't seem fair to Seth. It was just going to give the man false hope.

He just wished he could remember _why_ he had been in love with the man. Sure, he seemed sweet, but the anger Seth heard coming from him when he was speaking otherwise made him question whether the loving side he witnessed everyday in his room was a lie. He understood it was hard for Dean, but what about him? He was the one who couldn't remember his life, not even his family or friends. And yet, he still put on a smile for people, because he knew that acting negatively was not going to solve anything. Dean didn't quite seem to understand that, and that's why Seth felt so wary of him.

All Seth wanted was to remember. Remember going to college, remember his friends, his boyfriend, even his childhood, though he was told it wasn't very enjoyable for him. Of course, he had been told things about his life, but that wasn't the same. He wanted his life to be a memory, not just words.

Because he was lost in thought about this, he didn't quite pick up on the voice of Nikki, who had returned to the room.

"Seth?"

"I'm sorry, I was lost in thought," he apologised, managing to smile at the nurse. "What is it?"

"Dean and Roman are here," she replied. That confused him slightly; they usually just knocked on the door as they entered. But after what he said yesterday, maybe they wanted to be certain that Seth didn't mind them entering. Seth almost wanted to say no to Dean visiting, but he would have felt cruel to say that. So he nodded to show that he was okay with it, and then the two men entered the room.

"Hey Seth," Dean said gently, his footsteps hesitant as though he was scared of being rejected. That's when even more guilt rose inside Seth. Sure, he had his reasons for saying what he did, but this was _Dean._ They had been together for years, apparently. It was no wonder that Dean was hesitant.

"Hey," Seth replied, watching as Dean sat in one of the hospital chairs. Roman stayed standing beside him. There was a tense silence on the room for a few heart-pounding moments, neither Seth or Dean knowing what to say to the other. They broke it simultaneously.

"I'm sorry I-"

"I'm sorry I-"

They both stopped, and then what happened next warmed Dean's heart. Seth _laughed._ Not one of the forced chuckles from over the week, a proper, meaningful _laugh._ It had felt like an eternity since Dean had heard that laughter from Seth. Suddenly, he was laughing too. All the worries he had seemed to disappear for just a moment while the laughter filled the room. Roman was chuckling himself, but it could hardly be heard over Dean and Seth. When it quietened, Seth was still smiling, and that brought happiness which Dean thought he couldn't find in these dark times.

"I don't know why you're apologising," he said. "I'm the one who needs to apologise."

"I shouldn't have said that to you, though," Seth replied guiltily. "It was wrong of me to say that to you. All of this is hard for you as well as me. I should have understood that."

"I should have understand how hard this is for you as well, though. You're the one suffering the most out of all of us. I should have never lost my temper with the police like I did. I promise that the way that I act when I'm with you isn't just some kind of personality I'm making up. I just… I just find it hard to control my anger. I always have, and with you like this, it's even harder. But I'm not going to let that come between us any more. I'm thinking about going to therapy. I tried a while ago and hated it, but I want to try again. I don't want to lose you."

"You won't be losing me," Seth found himself saying. "But I appreciate it, Dean. Thank you. It means a lot knowing that you're willing to do that for me."

"I'd do anything for you. I mean that. I would do absolutely _anything._ "

Seth smiled, "I know that now. Thank you so much."

There was a pause as they simply looked at each other. Seth was clearly taking in all the features of Dean once again, this time noticing every detail. A faint blush formed on his cheeks when Dean winked. It wasn't long before the stares turned into chatter, the happiest since the accident happened. Aside from the odd comment, Roman merely leant back against the wall and watched his two best friends, a satisfied smile on his face.

* * *

 **A/N:** Oh wow, _I_ wrote something _happy?_

Ahem, thank you very much for reading, and I hope you enjoyed it! Feel free to give me your thoughts.


	6. Returning Home

**A/N:** I'm not even going to go on about the length. I have my novel to do too, so these 2,000 word chapters every couple of weeks will have to do xD I have a bit more to say but I'll leave it to the end, please be sure to read it!

Hopefully you enjoy the chapter.

* * *

 **Unwanted Turn**

 **Chapter Six - Returning Home**

* * *

The next week seemed to be a lot quicker than the last, mainly because a lot of the previous tension had been lifted. It was as though the laughter from that day had lifted everyone's spirits and had given them hope, almost feeling like how it used to. The positivity they felt only grew when a doctor came into the room one day, a wide smile on his face.

"I have some great news," he said. "As long as you take it easy and make sure you rest up some more, you'll be fine to go home."

"Really? That's great!" Seth smiled, though it was slightly nervous. Of course, it was understandable – this would be the first time that Seth would be outside after the accident. Nonetheless, he was excited, and apparently his thoughts were spoken by Dean, who must have also been thinking them.

"Do you think that coming home would help jog his memory?" he asked.

"It's hard to say," the doctor replied. "It may do, but please don't raise any hopes just in case. I am sure that Seth will remember something eventually, however, this may not be that time."

Dean nodded, "I understand."

"It's a good job we brought you some clothes, isn't it?" Roman chuckled.

"Definitely. So I can actually go home today?"

"That's right."

"Wow..." was all Seth was able to say. The conflicting combination of excitement and nerves were growing more by the second.

"Make sure that you take the painkillers we have prescribed you with, though, because of your injuries still healing," the doctor continued. "Your hospital bills have also been partly taken care of, though there is still a sum for you to pay."

"I haven't forgotten about that," Seth gulped, though tried to keep his positivity maintained as he smiled at Dean. "I'm sure that if I can get myself a job alongside yours then it'll be fine."

Dean nodded, thankful that he hadn't been fired after all. His second chance, however, was his last. He knew that if he screwed up again, then there would be no more chances. He hadn't had the heart to tell Seth what had truly happened. Roman's bruise had been questioned, though the response was simply that they went to the bar to calm themselves down and they had accidentally gotten themselves involved in a fight. Both Dean and Roman felt guilty twisting the truth, but had silently agreed that after Seth finally finding trust for Dean, it wouldn't help at all if they told him exactly what made Dean improve his attitude.

"Kaitlyn and I will help in any way we can, too," Roman added.

"Thank you, I appreciate that," Seth smiled.

"I will have your medication and bill sorted for you while you get yourself dressed," the doctor said. "Also, your bandages need to be changed, though I think it is best you do this yourself as you'll still need to wear them for a few days, just in case. We want you to be in best shape possible for when you return to college."

"I understand," Seth responded. The doctor nodded, and when he left the room, Seth removed his shirt and began to unwrap the bandages from around his ribs. Dean immediately leant forward when Seth winced, though stopped his movements when he was given a reassuring smile.

"Don't worry, it was just the short pain I get when I stretch my torso."

Dean nodded, not completely happy with the response, but he understood. Seth had already been told that the pain was natural and the more he moved, the less his body would stiffen. At least the bruises which had been previously littered across Seth's ribs were now almost completely gone. Before, it was hard to watch as Seth's bandages were removed. Somehow seeing bruises made his injuries seem more real.

With much more ease than Dean thought he would have, Seth grabbed the roll of bandages and gently wrapped them around his ribs. _'That must hurt like a bitch,'_ Dean thought to himself as Seth turned his body around so he could trim the end of the bandages, making them easier to tie. If it hurt, then Seth definitely wasn't showing it. His face was completely relaxed with no signs of wincing.

It wasn't long at all before Seth had changed into some fresh clothes and was standing by the bed. Due to the doctor's advice about lifting and taking it easy, Dean slung Seth's bag of few possessions over his shoulder without a word while Seth was handed his medication, along with instructions on when and how many to take. Of course, he had taken the same medication while in the hospital, but he wasn't going to have nurses giving it to him now. After that he, Dean and Roman were walking down the corridors of the hospital. Seth, letting the worry of the hospital bill he was also given escape his mind for a while, smiled at the thought of finally leaving this place. It had only been a few weeks, but it seemed like an eternity. He wanted to feel the fresh air of the outdoors and start living his life again. He was even looking forward to college. Naturally, it would be a struggle, but he wasn't going to halt everything he had previously been working for just because of his accident. He was confident anyway that he would start remembering _something_ soon. At least, he had faith that it will. He just hoped that having that faith would help.

"How does it feel?" Dean asked when they had exited the hospital and were standing outside of it, the autumn breeze hitting their faces. Seth's face stretched into a huge grin.

"Amazing."

* * *

Roman, giving his support as a loyal friend, rode alongside Dean and Seth in a taxi on the way to their apartment. He had offered to leave them alone for their return, but both had shook their heads – of course, Dean was never one to say no to support off his best friend, and Seth had grown to trust Roman a lot in the short space of time he was getting to know the Samoan man. He had learnt almost right away exactly why he had such a good friend in Roman.

The journey was silent, with the same question running through their minds – would the home he and Dean had been so excited to own jog anything at all in Seth's memory?

The jangle of keys seemed unbelievably loud in the empty hallway. Before Dean opened the door, he glanced at Seth, silently asking if he was ready. He merely nodded his head, quickly looking back at the door. Nerves had started being replaced with excitement and the wonder of if there was anything inside which Seth would remember.

The door opened, revealing the basic, yet modern décor inside. It was small, which was naturally understandable with only two students living inside. But it was homely.

White paint which seemed brand new helped to create the illusion of more space. On these walls hung several photographs, mainly of Dean, Seth, Roman and Kaitlyn, though there were a few other people who he didn't recognise in a couple of the pictures. What Seth presumed to be a fake-feather sofa was laid down in front of a coffee table and television, seeming like they were second-hand, but still looked pleasant on the light brown carpet. Seth tried to remember _anything_ he could have done in this room. Painting the walls, watching the television, cooking in the kitchen area placed in the corner… But there was nothing.

"It's all right, we've only lived here for a couple of months," Dean said when he saw the obvious disappointment written on Seth's face. He couldn't deny that he was disappointed himself, but he didn't let it show and allowed his lips to curl into what he hoped was a reassuring smile. "It's natural that something recent like this wouldn't jog anything. You'll get there."

Seth nodded, trying to let himself believe Dean's words. "I hope so. It's lovely though, it really is."

"It wasn't this nice to start with," Dean chuckled. "The walls were all messed up with this awful grey concrete, the carpet was filthy as fuck, don't get me started on the kitchen… But Roman helped us clean it up."

"Indeed I did," Roman grinned.

"You both did a very good job," Seth commented.

"Not just us, _you_ did, too. You did most of the paintwork."

Seth's smile was forced. If only he could remember something so simple.

"Anyway, through there is the bathroom," Dean said, pointing to his left. "Then over there is the guest room and our bedroom."

"Can I look in there?" Seth asked, almost laughing at the temporary surprise he felt over the word 'our'. Of course they would share a bedroom; they had been together for years.

"No need to ask."

He knew that there wasn't. It just didn't feel like _his_ apartment when he had no memory of it, so he felt like he had to be polite. He hoped that after a while he would get used to this being his home, rather than the mere hospital room.

There were even more pictures in the bedroom, mainly of just the two of them. Clearly, they were the type to appreciate photos greatly. Seth found himself loving that fact.

"Is this my side?" he asked, pointing to the left of the bed. To not give false hope, he quickly spoke again. "I remember you telling me how I loved reading, while you hated it."

There were two bedside tables, one for each side of the bed, and on the left one, there was a book. This made Dean grin.

"You always were observant. Yeah, that's your side."

Seth walked over to it, his hand reaching for the drawer of the bedside table, curiosity taking over him. He pulled it open, and thought his heart was going to skip a beat as his lips let out an unintentional gasp.

"What's wrong?"

"I know her," Seth said, picking up a photo that was placed inside, bringing it closer to his face. "That's… My mother. Right?"

"Yeah, that's right," Dean said, trying to keep his voice calm but not succeeding. "You remember, Seth… That's amazing!"

"She… Uh..." his words trailed off as he racked his brain, trying to conjure up memories from the blur which was his life. He frowned, feeling a headache forming. "She… I think she died when I was young."

"She did," Dean said sadly. He avoided saying more, not wanting to bring up something as painful as a sad childhood. Though Seth had been told it wasn't the best, details hadn't been spoken, though Seth still hadn't questioned about his family after being told he doesn't speak with them.

"I'm sorry that she died," Seth started, slightly confused at the mixture of emotions he was feeling. Should he feel sad that he could remember something a tragic as a death, or feel happiness over finally having a memory, even such a negative one? "But… I'm also happy that I finally remember _something."_

Dean smiled and placed a kiss to the side of Seth's head, "So am I. I'm proud of you."

"Me too," Roman added, placing one large hand onto Seth's shoulder. "This is incredible. You should be proud of yourself, too."

Seth nodded slowly. A small part of him _did_ feel pride over what he had achieved, but the rest of him was filled with regret, as well as guilt. He knew that she had died, but he had no idea how. Was it illness? An accident? He didn't know. He shouldn't have felt guilty over that, it wasn't his fault that he was suffering with amnesia, but it still didn't feel _right_ that he couldn't remember something as drastic and life-changing as the death of a parent. It led to so many other questions taking over his mind. Exactly how old had he been when he died? How did he handle it? How did the rest of his family handle it? Did he actually have any other family, or was he in foster care after that? Of course, questions of his childhood _had_ popped into his mind since his accident, but only briefly. He had been far more interested in learning about the present, how he lived life _now._ But now that he had the huge fact of his mother's death, his past was suddenly something which he wanted to know everything about.

"Seth?" Dean's voice said, breaking into Seth's thoughts. Startled, he blinked and looked at Dean apologetically.

"Sorry, were you saying something?"

"It wasn't much," Dean replied, looking concerned. "What's wrong? You blanked out there."

"I just..." Seth paused. "I want to know about my past. Now that I remember that I lost my mother, I want to know more. How she died, what the rest of my family were like, why I don't speak to them. I want it to make sense."

Dean breathed in deeply, "Are you sure?"

"Definitely."

"All right, then." Another deep breath. "Let's sit down. I'll tell you everything you told me."

* * *

 **A/N:** I just had to add in his mother, the idea only came to me when I was writing the chapter but I have plans from it!

Anyway, what I wanted to say was that after having to drop out last year due to both starting late and my medical issues, I am now going back to college! I had an interview today for a medical administration course and was accepted on the same day. I have my first induction day a week on Thursday, I'm so excited! But naturally this means that once I start, I'll probably have less time for writing. I'm in four days a week for a few hours, and alongside this I have to fit in homework, my drawing, animating, seeing friends, studying Japanese and, of course, writing this, my other fanfic and hopefully my novel, when I get round to the next chapter. So yeah, as you can imagine, my updates may be even slower and I'll probably be sticking to this kind of manageable length. Hopefully you understand!

However, reviews always help to boost my motivation *winks with obvious elbow nudge*

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the chapter!


	7. The Past

**A/N:** It took a while to get this uploaded, I know xD I haven't had much time for writing, what with me being in college now and also trying to keep up with animating, too. But, finally, here's the chapter!

* * *

 **Unwanted Turn**

 **Chapter Seven - The Past**

* * *

"You had always loved your mom. That's one thing that you always made clear to me," Dean started. It almost felt as though it was yesterday since Seth had first opened up about his family. "She loved you back, of course, but wasn't able to show it. You never specified completely, but you said that she had problems. Mental health problems, I mean. You told me how you thought you had seen your dad treat her horribly, too, treating her roughly. It was most likely an abusive relationship, but you were only six. You weren't going to understand.

"It all became too much for her eventually. She left a note for you and your brother in your bedroom, telling you both how much you loved she loved you, but she couldn't live with your father. Instead of seeking help, she committed suicide. It was you who found her, though you said you blocked out the memory for years. Your dad… Well, he was abusive, and your brother knew that you couldn't live together after your mother's death."

" _Mommy, are you in there?" the small boy called through the bathroom door, crossing his legs. He had gotten out of bed fifteen minutes ago, yet the bathroom door was still shut. "Mommy? Have you fallen asleep in the bath?"_

 _He didn't know why she would have a bath so early in the day. She always told people not to fall asleep in there, just in case they drowned. What if she had done the same thing that she had warned others not to do?_

" _Mommy?" he called softly again, trying not to wake his older brother or his father. No answer._

 _He looked up at the door. He knew that the lock was loose and that, the times it was faulty, his brother was able to push it open. Hesitating, knowing that his mother wouldn't like someone disturbing her, he began to push at the door. He was making quite a lot of noise, but by now, he wasn't as scared to wake someone up. She had still not replied. He had to find out why._

 _The weak lock gave away eventually and he stumbled into the bathroom. He looked over at the bath when he regained his composure. What he saw froze his body to the spot._

" _Mommy?_ MOMMY!"

" _Why are you making so much noise?" demanded the sleepy voice of his father, followed closely behind by Seth's brother._

" _Mo-Mommy, she's…"_

 _He could only shakily point at the lifeless body lying in red and pink water. In one still hand was a stained razor blade, seeming as though it was going to fall at any second. Seth had never seen so much blood in his life. It poured from his mother's wrists, surrounding her exposed and bruised body. Seth could only stare, his trance broken when his father pushed past him._

" _Shit, Linda, LINDA!"_

" _Is she…" Seth's older brother said shakily, putting a hand on Seth's shoulder. That physical contact was enough to make Seth panic, realising what his brother was saying._

" _W-Why is she so still?" he asked, beginning to tremble, though he was smart for his age. He already knew the answer._

 _There was no reply, instead his father placed a hand behind her head, his other fingers pressing against her neck, searching for a pulse. After several seconds he bent over the bath to press his ear to her bare chest, frantically listening out for any sign of life. There was none._

" _She's gone, isn't she?" Seth's brother demanded. There were tears falling down his face but there was anger evident in his voice._

 _Their father could only nod slowly, his hands grasping onto hers desperately. A look of both regret and guilt was written on his face. Seth's brother saw this, his rage growing._

" _This is all your fault!" he screamed, removing his hand from Seth's shoulder as he clenched his fists. "If you hadn't treated her so badly, she wouldn't have wanted to kill herself!"_

" _Kill… Herself?" Seth whispered, his eyes widening as he stared at his deceased mother. It was then that he began to cry hysterically. "Why would she want to die? Why is she gone?"_

" _She wanted to die because this man who calls himself our dad was cruel! It's all your fault, I hate you, I hate you, I HATE YOU!"_

 _Their father rose off the ground, and not long after he stood, the sound of his hand against his eldest son's face echoed in the room. A stunned silence fell after that, heavy breathing being the only sound left._

" _Don't put the blame on me," their father eventually said quietly. "Do you think I wanted this to happen? Do you think I really wanted her to die?"_

" _Yes, I do! Otherwise you would have been nicer to her!"_

" _I never wanted her to die! I just… I just…"_

" _Well, now you've caused that. I hope you're happy now."_

" _How can you say that? Of course I'm not happy!"_

" _Please stop yelling, please stop…" Seth sobbed, looking over at his mother. He wanted to hold her hand, say goodbye, but he was too afraid._

" _What's going on in here?"_

 _The three males turned to find two police officers looking concerned in the hallway. One was holding out their badge._

" _Your neighbours heard shouting and called us. Luckily, we were already in the area," he started. He looked past the family, his eyes widening. "What on Earth…"_

 _Immediately, he ran over to check the woman's pulse, breathing in sharply when he couldn't find one._

" _Looks like suicide," he said. "But why does she have these bruises?"_

" _Because of him," Seth's brother said, pointing at his father. His voice trembled as more tears threatened to fall over the loss of his mother, but he was determined to stop them. "He hit her, I know he did. That's why she did this. He shouted at her, too."_

" _Hit her?"_

" _Yeah. I saw it a lot."_

" _You can't believe what he's saying, he's only ele-"_

" _You're under arrest," the officer interrupted, walking over to the man to cuff his hands behind his back. "God, people like you make me sick. Michael, make sure the kids are okay."_

" _Hey," the man said gently, placing his hands on both of the boys' shoulders. "It's okay. Your dad won't be able to hurt you when he's with us."_

" _Is she really… Dead?" Seth asked shakily. Michael hesitated, before nodding slowly._

" _I'm sorry. But we're going to make sure that you go to a new home, I promise. You'll be loved and cared for there. We're going to call someone to come for your mom too. She'll be in a nice place, I promise."_

 _Seth's brother gently shrugged the officer's hand off his shoulder, bending down and smiling bravely at Seth._

" _Don't worry, Sethie," he said, one hand wiping away Seth's tears despite his own face still being wet from them. "We'll be fine as long as we stick together. That's what brothers do."_

* * *

Seth had to take a moment to think over what he had just been told. The description of his past seemed familiar somehow, though it was hard to remember precisely what it was like. When he had remembered his mother's face and knew she had died while he was young, he would have never guessed he was actually as young as six years old or that she died from suicide. The pain that she felt both emotionally and physically was so great that she saw no other why to escape it than her death, even if that meant leaving her two sons behind. It was obvious that she had been desperate, especially if she had committed suicide without thinking of a way to help her children first. But, despite the fact that other people may feel like this would be a selfish thing to do, Seth wasn't angry. He understood that she had given up hope. When people lose all sense of hope, it can cause them to do things they would never normally do.

However, even though he thought this now, did he feel differently when he was younger?

"Are you all right?" Dean asked softly.

"Yeah, I'm just… Thinking. It's a lot to take in."

"I can imagine. Do you want to stop talking about this?"

"No," Seth said quickly. "I want to learn as much about my life as possible, just in case… Well, I never actually find myself remembering it completely. I know the doctors say that they're sure I'll recover my memory, but I want to learn about myself just in case.

Dean nodded, "That's fine with me. I understand."

"So what happened after her death?" Seth questioned. "Did we manage to get a home?"

"A foster home, yeah. Obviously they had to find one quickly for you, because of your mom being gone and your dad being in prison."

"So he was seen as guilty?"

"Yeah. He got put away for eight years, I think that's what you said? They wouldn't have let the two of you go back to him even once he was out of prison, for obvious reasons."

"I guess it was quite lucky that you both had someone willing to care for you with that much of a short notice and with quite a big age gap between you," Roman added.

Seth nodded, "Yeah, it was. But if we were cared for together, why isn't he around here anymore? I thought he would have visited me in hospital if we were still in contact."

"Well, you were separated," Dean explained. "Not forcefully or anything. You two weren't born here in Cincinnati, you're from Columbus. The couple who adopted you were fairly young; they were only 25 and 27 at the time. Because of this, they didn't feel mature enough to adopt a teenager, but they fell in love with you when they were visiting you. When you were told they wanted to adopt you, you said no, that you couldn't leave your brother behind, especially if you were going to be moving to Cincinnati. He convinced you to though, saying that even if he wasn't adopted himself he would be out of there in a few years anyway. For some reason, he hasn't been in contact at all since you were separated. We never knew if this was because he was adopted by someone else or not."

"I see…" Seth said. "That was considerate of him. Not stopping me from being adopted or anything, I mean."

"Yeah, it was," Roman smiled. "He always wanted what's best for you, even if that meant you both getting separated."

"So what about my adoptive parents? Did something happened to them?"

"No, don't worry," Dean said. "They've spent a few weeks with family in California, to help plan a wedding. Before your accident, you told them that you weren't going to bother them with anything and that you'd stay behind to concentrate on university. We didn't want to worry them with what happened and… Well, to be honest, we didn't exactly know what we would say to them."

"Oh God… That's going to be a bit of a shock to them. 'Hey guys, I don't remember you at all because I have amnesia, but welcome back!'"

"We're sorry that we've not told them what happened," Roman said. "We just didn't want to go against what you said before and we don't even have their phone numbers. We probably couldn't get in touch even if we knew what to say."

"It's all right, I was joking. I might remember them better if I'm not greeted with apologies and everything anyway."

Of course, despite him wishing to be reassuring, he wasn't lying. The news was going to upset them; he didn't need a memory of them to know that. But hopefully, being greeted with however they usually act would be more helpful in jogging his memory. He had been told that it wasn't just sight that would help to bring back his memory; all of his other senses could assist him, too. He knew that he couldn't rely on merely his eyes to bring back his memories, it would take much more than that. He just had to hope that he had what it takes.

"What were they like?"

There was a slight pause. "Well, they're nice and they did treat you well. You just never got on with them as well as you did with your own mother. You spent years after you were adopted not speaking to them properly because you were missing your brother and you would have felt guilty if you treated this home as your new one. They are also the kind of people who are focused on their children becoming successful so a lot of the time you felt like that's all they wanted out of you."

"I'm sure that's not all they wanted out of you, though," Roman quickly added. "But it's what you thought they did."

Seth merely nodded in response. His mind was so active with all of this new information to absorb that for a few moments, it was like his mouth was unable to form words.

"Wait, children?" he questioned. "Did they adopt anyone else?"

"No, they had two of their own children," Dean explained. "They were two twin girls. They had always wanted a boy but there was a risk if she became pregnant again, so they didn't take the chance."

"Did I get along with the twins?"

"Not exactly. They were only two years older than you were so they weren't exactly mature. They didn't want the attention from their parents to be directed on you. It was pretty childish, but they were always like that about each other, too."

"I'm guessing they don't live around here?"

"No, they moved to California. They only really speak to you when they're meeting up with you and your parents."

"I guess that-"

He stopped speaking, frowning as he focused his hearing on the room on the other side of the door.

"What's wrong?" Dean questioned.

"I thought I just heard knocking," he explained. Just as he spoke the last word of that sentence, there was more knocking, this time even louder. Shooting a quick questioning glance at Dean and Roman, he jumped up from the bed to run over to the living room and towards the front door. He opened it to find a man and woman standing there, looking at him with what seemed to be disappointment.

"Can I help you?" he asked.

"So you're still keeping up with that act?" the woman demanded, her voice angry, though it shook slightly.

"What act? Who are you?"

He wasn't expecting a slap across his face from the woman, and apparently, the man thought that it was completely necessary.

"We hoped that the messages were some kind of sick joke, but this proves that it clearly wasn't!" he shouted. "What are you playing at, Seth? Why are you-"

"Wait, Paul, Stephanie!" Dean said hurriedly, him and Roman rushing from behind Seth. "That wouldn't have been Seth who sent you whatever messages you have. He wouldn't ever do anything to hurt you."

"Then who did? What's going on?" Stephanie asked.

"Maybe you should come inside?" Seth suggested, breathing out in relief when they did just that. The couple sat on the sofa, with Seth sitting in the armchair while Roman and Dean stood.

"Why would we get messages from your phone which aren't from you?" Paul questioned, looking doubtful about what they were being told.

"Well, actually, I'm not sure..." Seth said, looking over at Dean. "Did the people who attack me take my phone as well?"

"They did," Dean said through gritted teeth, "Those bitches must have decided that it'd be fun to message them saying… What exactly _did_ they say?"

"About how he was sick of us as parents and that we didn't deserve to be called that," the woman replied. "But attack you? Who attacked you?"

Seth breathed in deeply. "The police don't know who exactly attacked me, but… Well, the reason I asked who you are is because the attack left me with amnesia."

Wide eyes stared at him after those words. A hand slowly reached up to Stephanie's mouth as she stared at her son in horror.

"Oh no…" was all she was able to say. Her husband put one muscular arm around her shoulders, looking at Seth with sad eyes.

"You can't remember us at all?"

Seth shook his head, "The only thing I've been able to remember was who my birth mother was. I'm sorry."

"Don't apologise, it isn't your fault," Stephanie said. "Is there anything we can do to help? Anything at all?"

"The doctors said that the best way to help is to just be supportive and hope his memory comes back gradually," Dean said. "That's all we can do."

"Then that's what we'll do. We've never got along very well, but let's forget about that so we can work together to push through this," Stephanie said. She removed her husband's arm from around her shoulders so she could walk over to her son and wrap her arms around him. "We'll stick by your side every step of the way, I promise."

Seth managed to smile as he returned the hug, wishing he could remember this woman who clearly loved him. He could feel her love though, and though he couldn't recall anything about her, he still felt care for her inside his heart.

As they embraced, Dean watched them, but he was barely able to see the scene in front of him. Though it was concealed, he was being blinded by rage. The ones who had dared to hurt Seth just had to take their game one step further. To Dean, it was a sign that, finally, they had to pay. Consequences didn't seem to matter anymore. He wanted revenge, and revenge he shall have.

* * *

 **A/N:** Dean, no. Bad Dean. Bad.

It felt very strange writing Stephanie and Paul as Seth's adoptive parents after the role they played in hostage xD But anyway, thank you for being patient with me, and thanks for reading!


	8. Deceiving Appearances

**A/N:** I've... I've updated... I'VE UPDATED, GUYS!

God, it's never taken me so long to update before. I've just been busy with college, my first convention, animating Halloween songs, drawing manga for a competition... So damn busy. BUT, I finally made it back! I considered discontinuing, but... Yeah, I don't like doing that, so I'm going to see how I get on. I can always pause it for a few months if need be.

Anyway, sorry for the slightly shorter length, I hope you enjoy it regardless!

* * *

 **Unwanted Turn**

 **Chapter Eight - Deceiving Appearances**

* * *

After the confrontation and his parents managed to calm themselves down, they invited Seth out to dinner with them to help him to learn about the family which he had forgotten. Of course, he agreed; he wanted to remember them as soon as possible. They seemed like they cared for him a lot.

While Seth went to change out of his far too casual clothes, Stephanie pulled Dean to one side while Paul and Roman talked between themselves, neither aware of Stephanie speaking to Dean privately.

"What is it?" Dean had asked once they were on the other side of the room.

"I just want to make sure that you're not going to do something you regret," Stephanie responded, her voice low and quiet. "You've always had an issue with your anger, and I doubt it's not any different than it was when I last saw you. I know that we've never got along and you're probably just getting annoyed at this, but I want what's best for Seth and he won't be happy if you end up being thrown in jail or something."

Dean nodded, "I know that. I'm trying my best to control it. I'll probably head to therapy if I can afford it."

"Well, Paul and I will pay for Seth's hospital bills, so don't worry about that. Just focus on yourself."

"Thank you for your concern."

"No need to thank me. My son has always seemed keen on staying with you, so I need to make sure you're both all right."

Dean nodded slowly. He wasn't fully certain whether he should feel grateful or be insulted. Still, though it wasn't quite being told that he was finally liked or appreciated, he must have at least been accepting. It was a very small step, but was leading him forward nonetheless. That was better than nothing.

Soon after, Seth entered the room, wearing a shirt and trousers rather than the band T-shirt and jeans he was previously wearing. It stung Dean's heart to see Seth wear what had always been his favourite shirt; he had worn it on countless dates, after being given it on his birthday. And yet, it also warmed Dean's heart to see him wear something which was his favourite, as it reminded him that even though Seth had lost his memory, he was still exactly the same person as he once was. The opposite emotions were a strange combination, making him feel somewhat conflicted on how he should feel, but he pushed it aside to allow himself to smile.

"You look lovely," Stephanie greeted him, smiling. Paul nodded in agreement.

"We're going to go to one of your old favourite places," he said. "We know that you'll love it all over again."

Seth smiled politely, "I'm sure I will."

"Don't forget your medication though," Dean reminded him. "You might go past the time you have to take it."

"I'll take it with me, don't worry."

"How much medication are you on?" Paul asked.

"Um, a few. It's just to relieve the pain," Seth said, reaching over one of the kitchen worktops to hand his adoptive father the prescription.

"Oh my," Stephanie said, reading over her husband shoulder. Upset, she looked at Seth with guilt-ridden eyes. "I'm sorry, Seth. If only we had been here sooner."

"It's all right. At least you're here now."

Stephanie breathed in as though she was about to say something else, but all she could do was stretch her lips into a smile. It was obviously forced; her furrowed eyebrows made that clear. Seth guessed that guilt and sadness were overriding every other emotion. Though the only things he knew about her were the tiny amount of time they had spent with each other since his accident, he felt himself already growing a love for this woman.

It was clear to him that even though he was adopted, in the past, they had once had a bond which, at the very least, matched the one that he had with his birth mother before her death. And now, he was wishing for his memories to return even more.

* * *

"So this is the place?" Seth questioned as they stepped inside the restaurant later that day, his eyes inspecting the room. It certainly did appeal to his tastes.

"That's right," said Paul. "You used to love it here."

"I can see why."

"You came here with us to celebrate your last birthday," Stephanie said. The slight shake of her voice suggested her sadness, but she was smiling. "And the birthday before that. We took you here as a change, and you've loved it ever since."

"I wish I could remember that."

"I'm sure that you will, eventually. I have faith in you."

Seth nodded, managing to smile. He decided that voicing his concern over that never happening would not be the best idea in the world. They seemed so happy to be spending time with their son that he didn't want to ruin it by negativity.

They sat down together at a table. After a few minutes of waiting, a very tall waiter walked over, a smile stretched on his face.

"I apologise for the wait," he greeted. "It's been a while since we've seen you three! How have you been?"

"Very well, Glen," Stephanie replied, glancing at Seth for a brief moment, who gave the waiter a smile he hoped wasn't awkward. He didn't want to go through the complicated explanation of what happened. He stayed silent until ordering his own food. His choice made his parents grin from ear-to-ear.

"You always used to order the smoked salmon," Paul said. Seth nodded slowly, trying to hold in a laugh. He had amnesia, not a complete change of taste buds. Still, they _were_ his parents and were bound to get joyful over small things.

The meal was actually enjoyable. He found himself learning things about his parents naturally as they engaged in conversation and also learnt more about the family he had been adopted into. His twin sisters, Brie and Nikki, were living in LA as models, both very successful.

"Brie is actually getting married very soon," Stephanie said.

"Indeed she is," Paul added. "I wasn't too sure about the guy at first, but… Well, she's happy, and that's all we want for both of them, as well as you. But anyway, even with what's happened to you, we both think that you should still come to the wedding. I know it'd mean the world to both Brie and her fiancé. What do you say?"

"Well, uh..." Seth started. What _does_ he say? He hasn't even returned to university yet; he was nervous enough about that. Could he handle a wedding full of people who probably knew him and would wonder why he doesn't know them? Saying that, it might also have been a good opportunity to meet his family and get back into a normal life… He was torn.

"Don't worry, it's a small wedding," Stephanie added quickly. "Despite her career, Brie definitely isn't very flashy in most things and she wants a simple wedding with Daniel, with only a few close guests."

"And we'll make sure that they know of your amnesia," Paul said.

Seth took a moment to process those words, before he nodded.

"All right, I'll go. I'm sure it'll be lovely."

"That's the spirit!" Stephanie grinned, placing her hand on Seth's. "I'm proud of you, son."

After further conversation, the three had finished their meal and paid. All of the information he had taken in and learnt, he was feeling rather exhausted, and wasn't scared to voice this.

"Is it all right if I go straight home now? I'm feeling pretty tired after this."

"Not at all, Seth," Paul said. "Come on, we'll take you back."

Seth was thankful that the journey was fast, otherwise the drooping of his eyes would have most certainly led to sleeping. He thanked them both before he exited the car and walked over to his apartment, his parents watching for a moment in the car. The silence inside it was broken by Stephanie's sigh.

"I never knew that something like this would happen."

"It was your idea though, wasn't it? None of this wouldn't have happened if _you_ hadn't suggested that we got those Wyatts to attack him."

"I didn't plan on amnesia! This is not what I told them to do!"

"They did exactly what you told them to do, obviously a blow to his head was a bit too hard and ended up causing this. Just think though; it's like a blank slate, isn't it? So isn't this better, if anything? We can steer him in the right direction now, convince him to move away like his sisters and achieve great things. It's not all bad. It's better, if you look at it that way."

Stephanie hesitated before she smirked, "I suppose that you do have a point there. We can go somewhere with this. It might be better than simply scaring him into reality."

"See?" Paul returned the smirk, pulling his wife into a kiss. "This is better than what we could have ever hoped for."

* * *

"Hey, I'm back," Seth called into the apartment as he shut the door behind him.

"Hey, Dean's just in the bathroom," Roman said, sprawled out onto the sofa as though he lived with them. Seth chuckled – it wasn't the first time he had seen this. "Someone's a bit tired."

"Just a little. It felt like they were talking to me for hours."

Roman laughed, "That's parents for you, I suppose. I've gotta get going, Kaitlyn will kill me if I pick her up late." His voice then rose to a shout. "Hey, Dean? I'm going to go get Kaitlyn, so see you later!"

"Oh God, do you _have_ to see me later?"

"Little shit," Roman said, getting up and ruffling Seth's hair before he opened the apartment's door. "Bye, Seth."

"See you," Seth responded, sitting down on the sofa once his friend left. Dean then exited the bathroom, a large hand running through his untamed hair. Such a simple movement was insanely attractive. He shouldn't have felt uncomfortable over that. They were together, right? Wasn't that normal?

He guessed it was simply because they hadn't yet fallen back into acting as though they were a couple – understandable, being as Seth was only just getting to know Dean again.

"Hey, how was dinner?" Dean asked, sitting himself down next to Seth, their legs brushing against each other's.

"It went well. I'm exhausted, though."

"I can see that," Dean chuckled. "They probably didn't stop talking."

"Nope. It was nice, but… God, it was a lot to listen to!"

"They've always been anoy- I mean, talkative."

Seth laughed, before resting his head onto Dean's shoulder. The other man was slightly taken back – Seth had used to do this all the time, but naturally hadn't since the incident. Despite this, after a moment of pause, he put his arm around Seth's shoulders to pull him a little closer. Apparently, this was the right move, for a smile grew on Seth's face.

"They want me to go Brie's wedding," Seth continued. Both of them were glad that conversation still flowed naturally with the contact, though of course, neither voiced this.

"Oh, really? Are you going to go?"

Seth nodded, "Yeah. I mean, she's my sister, right? I've got to show my support and everything."

"Are you sure you'll be okay around so many people?"

"There's not going to be that many people there as she only wants a quiet wedding, so I'll be fine. Dad said as well that he'd make sure they all know about my amnesia so there's no confusion."

"Then that's good. I'm glad you're going to go; it'd be nice for you to meet your family. I'd go with you for support, but… Yeah, your parents don't really like me that much."

"Don't worry about that, I'll turn them around."

Dean stayed silent. That's exactly what Seth had been saying for the years they had been together, but Dean didn't have the heart to tell him that. Instead, the two of them stayed content in the silence as the peaceful minutes ticked by.

"I hope you realise that your sister and her fiancé are complete hippies," Dean eventually said, chuckling, though he didn't receive an answer. That's when he noticed the heavier breathing on his shoulder. He glanced down, smiling when he saw Seth's sleeping face. Bringing him slightly closer, Dean brushed his lips against Seth's forehead. It was just like old times.

"I still love you, Seth," he murmured to himself. "And I always will."

* * *

 **A/N:** Yay, I got two things done in this chapter - suspicious parents and Ambrollins feels!

I actually got well over half of this written tonight. I hope those efforts won't go unnoticed! xD I'm not sure when I'll be able to update again, but it'll probably be sooner as I'm pretty much giving up animating so I have time for writing. Maybe a couple of reviews would help motivate me, eh? ;)

All joking aside, I always love to hear what people think so if you have a moment, please do leave a comment for me to read! Thanks to anyone who does, and thank you for reading, it's much appreciated!


	9. One Step at a Time

**A/N:** I'm... I'm alive? *gasps*

YES, I AM UPDATING! It sure took a damn while, I am so sorry. I just ran out of motivation completely - I love my new one and recently, I've been becoming more focused on my novel... And my art... Yeah. But I sat down and wrote another 2,000 words of this over two days so you actually had an update. I was going to upload it yesterday, it completely slipped my mind - but it's taken so long anyway, so I doubt one more day made a difference...

Anyway, sorry for going on - Enjoy the chapter!

* * *

 **Unwanted Turn**

 **Chapter Nine - One Step at a Time**

* * *

Knowing that he had to try and settle back into his old life as much as possible, Seth had returned to college a week before Brie's wedding.

He was well aware that he was most likely not going to be able to remember anything there, but the doctors had told him that getting into his old routine might trigger at least parts of his memory. They had already been informed that Seth was able to recognise his birth mother, showing that he definitely had the capability to remember more, no matter how long it took.

Not only was college going to be a possible way for Seth's memories to return, it would also help him mentally, knowing that he isn't wasting his life away because of the attack. The other students in his class had naturally been informed of Seth's lost memory – they were already aware when they were questioning where he had gone.

"You'll be fine," Dean had said as they stood outside the building, the size of it seeming a little overwhelming to Seth. Dean placed a comforting hand on his shoulder, giving it a small squeeze. "You've always loved it here."

Seth turned to him and nodded, managing to smile when he saw the reassuring looks that not only Dean was giving him, but also Roman and Kaitlyn. Returning here was a huge step, but he was sure that with these three besides him, he would be fine.

One of his fears turned out to be over nothing when he entered – that was everyone looking at him as though he had risen from the dead. Saying that, it was a rather big college, so not everyone was bound to know him or what happened, not to mention that the visible injuries had healed by now. There was a cut deeper than the rest which was still healing, but it was covered by hair. So his appearance, at least, was completely normal.

Seth, Dean and Roman (Kaitlyn was in a different class) sat down at their desks, with Seth looking around in awe. It was truly one of the biggest places he had been in since the loss of his memory. As they had arrived slightly earlier than the lesson's start to avoid people staring at Seth as they came in, people started entering the room. Having been informed of Seth's situation, they had looked at him – most smiling with sympathy – before sitting down at their desks. A boy with blond hair sat down in the row behind Seth, Dean and Roman, and was the first student who had entered the class to speak to him.

"Hey Seth, it's nice to see you back," said the blond.

"Thank you."

"This is Dolph," Dean said. Dolph grinned as he said so, and the simple gesture helped all three of them to relax. An expression like that was much better than the look of pity others were currently giving him.

"It's nice to meet- well, uh, see you again."

"It's okay Seth, I understand," Dolph responded reassuringly. "I'm just glad that you came back. It's like you really care about everything in your life, you know? So yeah, nice one, Seth."

"Thanks, I appreciate it," Seth replied, giving Dolph a grin of his own. The other students who had entered had now apparently decided to take Dolph's approach and let their guilty expressions vanish. A couple called over support just like Dolph, making Seth feel a sense of security and like he belonged here. Even if he didn't know any of these people's names, he still appreciated their support greatly.

"Quiet down, now," was suddenly called by the tutor, who had made her way into the class. She flashed Seth a quick smile, before settling down by her desk. And, somehow, the lecture was nowhere near as bad as he thought it'd be.

There was a sense of familiarity from being among all of these other students, taking notes as the topic was discussed. It wasn't quite a case of everything rushing back to him, but he could just tell he had done all this before, and though there was some points he didn't have any understanding of – which the tutor allowed Dean to murmur quietly about – he could understand a lot of the work and allow himself to be taught. He didn't know if it was his general memory pushing its slow way back or if being back in his old routine had somehow triggered something, but what he _did_ know was that he was glad to be back. If there was anything that would help him regain his old confidence and attitude, it would be this.

He left the class by Dean and Roman's side feeling more positive than ever. Both of them were able to tell this straight away.

"I knew it'd do you some good," Dean grinned, wrapping his arm around Seth's shoulders. "One step at a time, Seth. One step at a time."

* * *

The confidence boost from a week of college had certainly benefited Seth, but nothing could stop his nerves on the morning of his adoptive sister's wedding. He was certainly feeling a lot more positive about it than he had been a week ago, but naturally, a wedding with family members, as small as said wedding may be, was a little different to attending college classes.

"You'll do great, Seth," Roman said encouragingly. Dean nodded in agreement next to him.

"I believe in you," Dean said, hesitating slightly before pushing several strands of brown hair away from the side of Seth's face so he could plant a gentle kiss on the cheek. He expected Seth to stiffen, or at least feel awkward, but was pleasantly surprised to feel him relax. "Message me later, okay?"

"I will," Seth nodded. "And tell me how your therapy session goes."

"Of course."

He had decided to go through with his idea of therapy – he definitely had his own issues to work on and he knew they weren't just going to disappear on his own. He wished he could be with Seth instead, but it wasn't exactly shocking news that Seth's parents wouldn't want him there. So instead, he decided to take the opportunity of Seth being away to help his own self recover. It would benefit each of them, after all.

After saying their goodbyes from outside their apartment, Seth walked over to his parents' car and sat down in one of the back seats. The two of them had been watching Seth say goodbye from inside, and were obviously trying to hide the negativity they felt towards Dean's kiss on the cheek.

"Right, let's get going," said Paul, turning on the engine. "We don't want to miss our flight."

Seth nodded, mentally making a list of everything he had packed for the weekend to make sure he hadn't forgotten anything. It wasn't until they had started driving that the thoughts of where exactly he was going kicked in completely.

What exactly were his sisters like? How would everyone there react to Seth's amnesia? Would they do what Dolph did in class and act positively, or would they pity him like everyone else? They were questions that had crossed his mind many times over the last few days, but it was only now that he found himself desperately wanting answers.

Luckily, his mother broke the silence – but it wasn't exactly in a way that he would have liked.

"So you and Dean are… Well, still together?"

"Uh, yes," said Seth, averting his eyes away from the car window to look at the back of his parents' heads. "Why wouldn't we be?"

"We just thought, because you can't remember him and such..." said Paul. "Well, that'd mean that you wouldn't be together."

"I wouldn't just throw away something I had for years because I can't remember it. I'd only regret it if I ever regained my memory of what I've lost. We're just taking it slowly as I get used to everything again."

Stephanie nodded slowly, "I suppose that does make sense. We just want what's right for you."

"He _is_ right for me," Seth found himself saying. "I'll be fine, don't worry. I have Roman there as well – he's an amazing friend. Dean's got his first therapy session today, too. He's trying, he really is."

"I'm… Glad to hear it."

Seth could feel himself becoming frustrated very quickly. What exactly did these two have against Dean? Did they really hate him that badly?

"So we're almost there," Paul said, breaking the awkward silence. "Should take about four hours to get to L.A. Are you looking forward to meeting your family?"

"Definitely."

It wasn't completely a lie – he _was_ looking forward to meeting them and discovering what they were like. The nerves just overrode the excitement he felt for it, but at least his thoughts were distracted once they were waiting for their flight.

 _'Again, good luck today,'_ he typed out onto his phone, sending the message to Dean. Just a minute later, he had a reply.

 _'Same to you. The receptionist keeps staring at me – is it because I'm wearing jeans? Does she think I'm homeless? Or maybe like I'm about to go on Jeremy Kyle?'_

Just as Seth chuckled aloud – which his parents looked at him strangely for – he had received another message.

 _'I swear I need new pairs, I thought this was my best pair but NOPE. Or maybe I'm just too handsome for her… That'll be it. Gotta go in now, see you later.'_

 _'Yeah, that's gotta be it. See you.'_

Just those two messages had relaxed the nerves taking over inside his chest, and now he sat back, his thoughts now instead preoccupied by the wonders of how Dean's first therapy session was going to be.

* * *

Dean shoved his mobile back into his pocket and followed the therapist inside the room, which he was thankful was completely normal and not quite like the sort of horrors you imagine thanks to exaggerated movies.

"Hello, Dean," said Dr Shelby, the therapist, who smiled at him. "Want to take a seat?"

Dean nodded, sitting down awkwardly on the sofa. Shelby was sat in an armchair opposite him, which made Dean feel slightly tense, but it was already much better than the therapy sessions he had attended many years ago.

"So today we're just going to talk about what's happening in your life right now. Is that okay?"

"Yeah, that's fine," Dean answered when he finally found his voice.

"What are you doing at the moment, Dean? Are you working, in college..."

"I'm in college," he said, slightly taken back by the simple question. Perhaps the old therapist he had was just not very good at what he did. "I work part-time in a bar."

"Do you enjoy it there? At both of them?"

"Yeah. Well, I'm on my final warning already with my job, but I like it."

"Final warning?"

"I ended up making a bit of a scene while, uh, I was drunk. Ended up hitting my best friend and such."

"Were you drinking for any particular reason?"

"My partner has amnesia. Because I kept getting angry at a police officer and such because they've not been able to find out who attacked him, he told me he didn't know how he could have loved me. It got to my head a bit, you know? So… Yeah. I thought drinking might help."

"I see. It must have been terrible to find out what happened to your partner."

"It was," Dean said, looking down at his hands. Somehow, the words came to him extremely easily. "We've been together for several years now and we had such great plans for the future. We had already moved in together a little while back, and things just seemed to be getting better and better. I was planning on proposing on his next birthday. But then after my interview for my job, I got a call saying that he had been attacked and was now in hospital. I got there to find out that he has amnesia – he had no memory of me, our best friend Roman, or anything. The only thing he's been able to remember so far was that a photo of his mother was her, and that she had died when she was young. It's just… It's hard to deal with."

"I can imagine so. I wish all the best for his recovery. So you've been angry at the police because they've not been able to find who happened?"

"Yeah… I just didn't want whoever did it to go unpunished. It's stupid, I know. It's not their fault they haven't been able to find them. But… Yeah."

"I understand completely, and it's not stupid at all. It's frustration that there has been no redemption for what has happened to your partner. On your records it does say that you have dealt with general issues with your anger before, so it's natural for you to have to deal with that again after what's happened. It's easy for anyone to take out their frustration on others, especially in your kind of situation, and when you have a problem dealing with anger, it makes it worse."

Dean nodded in agreement, "Yeah. I'm glad that you understand that. But it's getting in the way completely and has made me say things that I regret. It's why I came here – I want to try and sort out my anger so I can be better for Seth, and also a better friend. Some things I've done lately have not been the best and even though I have excuses, it still doesn't make it all right."

"I'm glad that you're willing to help yourself. I don't want to throw you right in the deep end and make you start talking about why you think you have this issue today, but I'm going to do my best to talk you through it and come up with ways we can manage it. We're not just doing this for your loved ones, either – we're going to do this to help yourself, too."

After talking for several more minutes, the two of them shook hands as Dean gave him a grateful smile.

"Thank you for today, I really appreciate your will to help."

"No need to thank me," replied Shelby, smiling. "Take care, Dean."

"Same to you," Dean responded before exiting the room, feeling as though a huge weight had already been lifted from his shoulders. He hadn't even begun to talk about his past but just the fact that he had expressed his pain over what happened with Seth and the fact that he knew that he had a good therapist ready to help him was enough to help him feel a lot more relaxed than before.

 _'The first session went great,'_ Dean typed out on his phone. He knew Seth probably wouldn't be able to reply, but he still wanted him to know. _'I'm looking forward to the next one. I feel like this guy is really gonna help me.'_

He put the phone away, smiling to himself. Seth wasn't the only one who was going to be getting better – Dean was determined to do the exact same thing.

* * *

 **A/N:** So I'm not too sure when my next update will be as I _do_ start college again tomorrow and have other things to prioritise before this, but I hope to update sooner than last time. That was simply dreadful.

Thank you for reading, and also for waiting. I hope you enjoyed it!


	10. ON HOLD

Yep, I think we aaaall knew that this was bound to happen - I have long decided that it would be best to put this on hold for the unforeseeable future. I am hoping to not discontinue it but with all of the other things I'm focusing on - art, college, my novel and, admittedly, my other fanfic - I don't really have time for a story I enjoy less, especially with how I also have to somehow slot in breaks due to my bad physical health. Perhaps when I have developed more ideas I will be able to continue it, but I think I also dived into it far too soon without thinking over it properly as I only have a couple of ideas I'm certain about, unlike my current SP fic, which I know for sure which direction it is going and how it will end. I mean, why on Earth did I think it was a good idea to start a story I wasn't even sure about the ending of?! Man, I was stupid, wasn't I?

So yeah, thank you for your feedback and for reading the story so far, I hope that you will continue with it if I write it again. For now, there is a Wrestling AU oneshot I have written named 'One Last Wish' which I think you will enjoy, I have my South Park fanfic still being updated regularly, perhaps a Ouran High School Host Club one coming up in a few months and I may continue to write oneshots for this fandom so that my poor wrestling fans aren't neglected.


End file.
